Mark My Love
by Angle1
Summary: Ever wanted something so bad you would do anything, give up everything for it? Even if it scared you half to death to even think about? How much is Kaoru willing to give for the kind of love she only dreams about? K&K AU
1. The Chase

A/n.. waves to everyone hey y'all. Now I didn't put my other story away. I'm still working on it. I wanted to wait till it was done before I started this, but because it's taking me longer to update than I like, I thought I would start this one.. being I have like 8 chapters finished already. :)

I'm keeping this story rating at a T ( I guess that is PG-13) because I don't feel that it's bad enough for a M raiting, however, I will warn at the start of each chapter if there is anything that might be a bit.. much.. for some readers.

Rating for this chapter is PG

Anyway, I won't take up anymore of your reading time.

…………………………………………………………………….

Disclaimer. I don't own Kenshin.

2nd disclaimer. I don't own the plot ideas, and massive amounts of wonderful information that I use in about a 3rd of this story. That belongs to the Wonderful Writer Ms. Christine Feehan

…………………………………………………………………………………….

Mark my love

Chapter 1

The night was half over. Silence had settled over the city like a comforting blanket. There was hardly a sound, save for the night calls of various animals and insects. There wasn't a single abnormal sound. Save one. The sound of running.

Kaoru had just started walking home from another late night. Not that late nights were anything new to her, being a nurse almost guaranteed many late nights. She had walked home alone in the dark many times before. But tonight... something was different. Something spooked her.

It started simple enough, she changed from her uniform to her nice summer dress and started off for the nine blocks home. All she had to do was walk home. Just walk home. Yet she was not even half way there when she felt the strange nagging in the back of her mind. Kaoru paid no heed to it. She blamed it on her work; she was most likely worried about something back there. But then the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. That made her pause and she stole a half glance over her shoulder.

Nothing… there was nothing there.

'_Kaoru… you're losing your mind. Go home and get some sleep.'_ She had thought to herself as she continued on her way. Yet slowly but surly the tingle of dread returned. This time, she didn't pause, but sped her walking. Slowly the ghostly fingers of fear raked down her back and griped her heart, causing it to pound fiercely.

That was the last straw. Kaoru couldn't take it anymore and she broke into a run.

…… . .

Her flat sole sandals slapped against her feet with her ever step. Yet Kaoru heard nothing but her labored breathing and the pounding of her heart. She suddenly had the feeling that someone was laughing at her. She could almost see the smile flashing before her, flashing white teeth and a grin that was nothing but purely wild and dangerous. Kaoru wanted to shut her eyes but she knew she would only see it in the darkness. Besides, it would be foolish of her to run with her eyes closed.

Adrenalin made her chest ache, her heart beat so hard it felt it was going to pound its way up her throat. There was a constant feeling that she was about to be stabbed in the back, which caused it to itch like mad. Kaoru constantly had to fight to keep from looking over her shoulder. She didn't want to see some psycho mad man with a knife coming at her. Even though she knew there was no one that close behind her…she didn't want to look… just incase there was.

'_Home, home, home._' She chanted to herself. She knew that she would be just fine if –when, she made it home. Sweat started cutting trails down her face and she felt the morbid dread leap. Kaoru strangled a scream in her throat before she could let it out. '_I wish I had my wooden sword with me right now… or even my bamboo bokken.' _Her brain was thinking clear and logically, while her emotions were going through a massive meltdown.

Fear now lanced through her chest, the adrenalin having worn off. It was the only thing that kept her moving. Only now she could fell the pain she was causing to her body. Her chest burned with both fear and needed air. Her legs ached and where growing heavier with every step_. 'Please…please help!'_ She screamed into the deep recesses of her mind. Then suddenly, it was as if whatever that dread was, heard her silent plea and grew even more, if that was even possible. It felt as if Hell hounds where nipping at her heals; making her pick them up and try to run faster. She could almost feel the hot breath on the back of her legs.

Then suddenly….

It was gone. The cold fingers of fear literally let her go. Kaoru gasped and stumbled into the light of a lone street lamp. She lunged forward at caught the small metal bar before she could slam into the pavement. Warmth from the summer air flooded back into her chilled body. She clung to the poll as she bent almost double, gasping for air, her sides heaving painfully. Tears from the strain had formed in her eyes and blinded her.

She let her vision clear before she whipped around, shoving her dark hair from her face. Behind her the road stretched on in a lonely, almost pleasant looking path between the stone walls of the buildings. There was nothing there. Nothing scary or even remotely threatening, just a calm summer breeze and the occasionally bark from some nearby dog. Nothing remotely creepy looking. Yet the small feel of unease still filled the pit of her stomach. There _had_ been something there.

Kaoru wanted to crumple over and sit on the ground, but she summoned all her strength and stood up straight again. She finally caught her breath and was able to walk on shaky, fatigued legs. Home was a safer place to rest then out in the open…under a light no less. _'Home... I'll relax at home.'_ She nodded to herself, physically and mentally drained and stumbled off in the direction of home.

…. . .

The sound of running.

It wasn't very abnormal, he tried to ignore it but somehow it kept drawing his attention. Whoever it was, was sprinting for their life. A kid out way past curfew, a thief, a murderer? Could be anyone. He tried to shove the sound away but to no avail. His eyes lifted only slightly to scan the grey world around him. The world was boring and drab, much like his emotions, he felt hardly anything. The sound of running shouldn't have bothered him as much as it did.

Suddenly he felt a strong ki flair up. The life force of whatever it was had joined in the run. _'So it is a chase.'_ He thought, breathing deeply and catching the scent of unadulterated fear in the air. It was so great he could almost taste it. They were close. He still wished to ignore it, but he found his amethyst eyes scanning the area around him, piercing through the shadows.

'_Please…please help!'_

He almost tripped. Colors suddenly exploded before him. A wild swirling mix of blinding vivid colors. The road was black, the sidewalk beige, the sky was navy blue and the street light next to him was a brilliant yellow. The voice was female; the fear in it was hideous. It made his stomach cramp suddenly and he almost doubled over. Most startling of all was that he heard it in his head. A mental cry for mercy. He would have reached back to answer but he knew there wasn't much time left. Now that he had latched on to the connection he could feel how close her pursuer was. He acted without a second thought. In a blur of dark blue and blood red, he darted to the sound of the running with god-like speed.

It didn't take more than a second for him to find the woman. He only spared her a glance as he waited between two buildings. He caught a flash of frightened blue eyes followed by a long trail of raven black hair. She ran by him in what seemed like super slow motion. And then, when she had past him, the world sped up again and he bolted out from between the buildings with his god-like speed and half tackled the form that was chasing her and shoved whoever it was against the shadows of the wall and pinned it with his body.

The girl stumbled, released from the mental hold that caused her so much fear. He clamped a hand around the throat of the person he held, keeping any shout or threat of struggle away. He kept his eyes on the woman, unable to look away. She turned and gazed right at them. The pair against the wall froze, but she looked right past them, not seeing anyone in the shadows. Her relief flooded into his body, suddenly he felt warm and pleasant, which was a feeling he hadn't felt in forever it seemed. It was such a shock that he forgot all about what he was holding against the wall.

He watched her stand there under the light. Looking glorious in that soft purple dress, utterly the icon of femininity. Regardless of the fact that her face was beet red from her sprint for life or that her hair was wild, sticking to her sweaty face, she still looked marvelous. Course in his eyes all females were marvelous, they were a gift. Just this one…seemed special. Her hair danced under the street light, her every moment sent blue and white iridescence flying his way. It was a miracle to watch.

'_Home... I'll relax at home.'_

Again he was shocked that he could hear her… he wasn't even trying to read her thoughts. He watched as she struggled on tired legs down the road. The urge to follow her was great; he didn't want to be far from her.

"Ack… Kenshin… okay…I give up….let me go."

Kenshin whipped around to face what he had pinned to the wall. He wasn't very surprised to see his trouble loving friend. The woman went slightly forgotten, more like he tucked her into the back of his mind for him to pull out later

"I was only having a bit of fun." He went on, trying to save his skin. "When I realized she could sense me and then she started running and well you know…I had to chase." A bright wolfish looking grin flashed in the darkness.

'_Did you have to frighten her so?' _Kenshin asked mentally. '_Your very nature is to protect women, not run the life from them Sanosuke' _he drop the hold on his throat.

"Hey a man has to have some sort of excitement. And I did her no harm other than give her a good work out."

The slap came so fast not even Sanosuke registered that he had been hit until he felt the sting and then instant throbbing.

"Don't make me have to do worse Sano, you know terrorism isn't tolerated. You of all people should know better." Kenshin growled, eyes narrowed. "Be glad that I didn't have my sword on me tonight Sano. Also be glad that I realized it was you before I broke your neck."

"Oiy Kenshin, I'm sorry man" He rubbed at his jaw, which started to hurt like the devil. It was a warning tap; he would hate to make the man truly angry at him. "I just couldn't help it."

"You're getting restless." Kenshin stated simply, his shoulders relaxing. "You need a woman." He added solemnly, the anger flowing out of him. He was still amazed at the fact that he was feeling anger.

Sanosuke nodded, taking his smaller friend by the shoulder and together they walked. "So do you Kenshin. So do a lot of us."

"I guess I see why you jumped after that young woman, she could feel your ki, She was afraid of the images you were showing her. In other words… you thought she might be the one." Kenshin wondered out loud, suddenly shamed that he had lashed out and struck Sanosuke. He half wondered if he should tell his friend that he was suddenly seeing in colors. It scared him half to death. He knew what seeing colors meant, but he refused to believe it was this easy.

The taller one nodded. "Yeah, I did at first, even if she was human… but I realized she wasn't halfway into the chase. But it was too fun to stop." He confessed.

"Someday Sano… just hold on to the hope." He patted Sanosuke on the back.

"Hey man… you too 'kay?"

"Everyday of my life is based on hope." Kenshin replied. It was all that kept him sane, thinking that perhaps today… today would be the day that he would find what he needed to be whole. Just one more day… Only now, he almost didn't want to believe….

"Kenshin…?"

"Yes?" the red-head jumped out of his thoughts

"Why are we following her trail?"

"Oro?" Kenshin looked out in front of them. It was just a lonely stretch of road and intersections. Kenshin had led them down two different streets and was now heading to an alley way. Her trail was still fresh, he was following her nervousness. Knowing where she had been, where her every footfall was. "Well I, um…" he was suddenly thumped on the back.

"Now who is the one giving chase?" Out came the wolfish grin. Kenshin scowled.

"I want to make sure she made it home alright." Kenshin replied innocently.

"How do you know she was heading home?" Sanosuke inquired, now a lifted eyebrow joined the wolfish grin.

"I heard her tell herself that she would wait till she got home to rest." Kenshin paused before adding. "I wasn't even trying to read her thoughts. It was as if she spoke right too me." He watched Sanosukes' grin turn into a thoughtful look.

"She must be a bit sensitive to psychic vibes. That would explain her being able to sense me when I reached out to her, curious about who she was. Her ki did pull at me a little when she past me in the dark."

This lifted Kenshins' interest greatly. Sanosuke slapped him on the back.

"Well you go make sure she's alright, I have to get going. Talk to you later Kenshin." He touched his fingers to his forehead briefly, pulling it away in a half salute, half wave before shoving his hands in his black pants. Kenshin watched Sanosuke turn and leave. The white "wicked" character on the back of his loose black jacket stood out in stark contrast to the dark.

Kenshin turned back to the alley and darted off with his god-like speed.

…… . .

Kaoru didn't breathe easy till she slid the metal lock into place. She turned and rested her back against the wood of the gait. Boy she felt so much better now that she was back in her own yard. It seemed nothing would be able to reach her now. Ridiculous, she knew, but that was how it felt. She sighed softly, lifting her tired eyes to the half moon in the sky. Sometimes she really hated her psychic abilities. She was sure that was what she had.

She had been able to predict earthquakes and deaths as a child. And even found she could sometimes read minds. She never meant to do it; all she ever wanted was to be normal. But sometimes the thoughts where thrown at her, like loud music. She couldn't help but hear it. Perhaps she felt the left over residue of some strange chase that happened back on that road. A memory of some sort. She shivered.

Kaoru found that she had wandered over to the porch of her house. With another sigh she sat on the smooth wood and leaned her back against the shoji screen door that lead to the kitchen. Her legs cramped slightly, not use to such abuse. She reached down to rub the pain from them. She did her best to hide away the "abnormal" part of her. She would rather just forget that part of her. Yet it was a major reason she was in the profession that she was. Kaoru was a nurse…well… almost a nurse; she was still in her internship. She seemed to have a connection to the patients. Able to understand them fully when they described their ailments. It was the only time she felt blessed with her abilities.

'_You are rather beautiful._'

Kaoru blushed softly and smiled. '_Thank you...but I-…..'_ Kaoru paused and sat up slightly. "Huh?" was the only lame word she got out when suddenly the shoji screen flew open and Kaoru tumbled back. "Yahiko!" she gasped from the floor.

"There you are Kaoru, I've been waiting up all night for you. What are you doin' sitting out here?" The ten year old boy asked as he glared down at her with his hands on his hips.

"Oh, I was just resting, enjoying the summer night." She half lied. Yahiko made a sound of disbelief.

"It's one in the freckin' morning Ugly. Come on." The boy stalked away and allowed Kaoru to stand and enter the house.

….. . .

Kenshin caught the sound of a soft musical giggle as the shoji screen slid shut. He had found her with ease, and hid in the shadows, looking through the gap in the fence. He could feel her unease in the pit of his stomach. Sano had really shaken her up, which was understandable. It's not everyday you run for your life, positive you are about to die, only to find nothing when you look behind you.

'_Damn that Sanosuke.'_ Now he was glad that he slapped him, through now he wished he had used a closed fist…and more force. He watched her in the soft moonlight as she mulled over her thoughts. Emotions flashed before her eyes, from sadness, joy, pain and confusion. He could see it all as if he was feeling the emotion himself. He was most intrigued. He decided that he would try and contact her. So he said the first thing that came to his mind.

'_You are rather beautiful' _

Kenshin grinned as he watched the woman preen at the complement.

'_Thank you...but I-…..'_ Here she paused, eyes wide, her mouth forming a shape of surprise, he felt her heart leap again, a breath of fear before he felt the ki of someone else. Kenshin tensed, and spotted the shoji behind her start to slide open. Again the world moved in slow motion. The screen inched slowly along; the woman hardly had any reaction till she started falling back. The world sped back up again.

It was a boy. Kenshin relaxed, realizing he was ready to attack if it was anyone who might be harmful. Still, Kenshin was on his guard. Kaoru….that was her name. He watched them as they talked; his eyes grew wide when the boy called her Ugly. Kaoru was far from being ugly; in fact he suddenly couldn't remember ever seeing a female with greater beauty. He watched till Kaoru vanished within the house with the boy. Kenshin stood up straight, turning to lean his back against the gate. Well his job was done, but for some reason he didn't want to leave just yet. He hesitated before pushing off the gate and headed back down the alley way. He knew one thing for sure…

He was coming back tomorrow.

……………………………………………………………………..

A/n So how was the first chapter? The truth now.. I want reviews!

I should let you know right now that I am a review whore. The more reviews I tend to get... the better I feel about the story and the more and better I write. I won't update this right away. UNLESS I get a crazy amount of reviews ( like 20 lol) then I will, only because I hate to leave so many waiting. Hey, I'm only telling the truth :)

Anyways, thanks bunches for reading, questions and comments are much welcomed and as always, reviews are loved


	2. Rainy meeting

A/n Woot! I'm so happy that I got the crazy amount of positive reviews like I did. I'm so happy that you all like the story so far. I hope I don't disappoint you with this story. Anyways, I start school on Monday...Wahhh! So updateds will be a little slower. (Or faster, being that my brothers are leaving on Sunday) Depending on homework level, I should fall back into updating regularly. I hope.

I'm so happy to see reviewers from my other story. :) I was hopping you would read this story as well. :) and in case your wondering, I'm half way done with the next chapter of Phantom of the Dojo, so an update should be in the next few days. .:crosses fingers and hopes:.

**Jasmine blossom625****- **A Sano/Kenshin story! Egads no. lol this is a Kenshin/Kaoru. Sano and Kenshin are just very close friends, almost like brothers.

**black-lotusblossom**- you got my PM already but I just wanted to give you Kudos for having read Feehan .:Waves with a big smile:.

**Kaygi**- Awwe thank you .:blushes:. I worked hard on that first chapter, I just hope the rest are just as good 0o

**DreamCatcherKenshin**** – **lol me too!

I had lots of question about what Kenshin and Sano are. .:grins:. All will be answered soon. Don't worry. I'm also glad that so many of you like the supernatural side of it. lol hold on to your seats because it's about to get a whole lot crazier in the next few chapters. Alright! Enough of this, and on to the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin. And owe Christine Feehan's work for giving me this great idea.

………………………………………………………………………………………..

When we last left off:

He hesitated before pushing off the gate and headed back down the alley way. He knew one thing for sure…

He was coming back tomorrow.

Chapter 2

Kaoru woke and stretched lazily under the covers and looked over at the small clock by her futon. It was eight in the morning. With a sigh she sat up and rubbed the heavy sleep feeling from her eyes. She didn't have work that day, but she still liked to get up as early as she could. A low rumble of thunder told her that was raining outside, or was about to. Kaoru showered and dressed in a fresh gi and brushed her long black hair and tied it back. She found the kitchen already empty. Yahiko was already up and in the dojo for his morning exercises. Kaoru grabbed a fast meal…an apple… and rushed to the dojo to join the boy.

Yahiko was a good student despite the fact that his teacher had suddenly cut her training time in half. Kaoru felt bad that she might be stunting Yahiko and his skill. But the boy had truly stepped forward with the responsibility of being on his own more often. He didn't like having to do a hundred sets of each new move, but he did them anyway because he knew that he would only get better if he worked at it. And Kaoru was hardly there to beat him across the head with her bokken to keep him in line. She was proud of the young man he was becoming.

That rainy morning she went extra hard with their drills. In her mind she was attacking the feeling that had attacked her last night, pushing the fear away and beating it into submission.

Yahiko shot a few looks at her from the corner of his eyes but didn't say anything. He thought perhaps she had a bad night at work last night. Well, better she take it out on some invisible opponent than on him. He struggled to keep up with her pace.

"Two hundred sets for that last move Yahiko, it was sloppy." Kaoru finally said after a few hours. She wiped the sweat from her face as she turned to start lunch.

"What?" Yahiko griped the bamboo sword and growled. "Two hundred!"

"Want to make it three?" Kaoru lifted a stubborn eyebrow, she and Yahiko had a stare down. The boy did pretty well for about ten seconds before turning away.

"Alright." He grumbled, taking up his bokken to start doing reps. "I hope you make a better lunch then yesterday's slop," he added over his shoulder.

Kaoru wheeled around. "Yahiko! I was ruining late for work!"

"That didn't mean it had to taste like dirt." The spiky haired boy muttered to himself, as he swung his bokken.

Kaoru growled and thought she had better leave before she gave the boy enough sets to take up the rest of his day.

….. . .

All during lunch, Kaoru had the strangest feeling in the center of her back. Like the feeling one gets when someone is staring right at them. But there was no one else in the kitchen and the curtains across the windows were drawn closed. Kaoru started getting uneasy again. She wondered if it had anything to do with last night. But the feeling vanished soon after and Kaoru forgot about it.

…. . .

Lunch had been a mild success. But diner had been better, Kaoru judged by the significantly less amount of grumbling from Yahiko. By that time the rain was coming down in torrents. The streets turned into fast moving rivers and the thunder that had threatened softly in the background for hours had suddenly advanced upon them. Kaoru and even Yahiko jumped when a particularly nasty bolt of lighting streaked over head, sending down the skin crawling crackle before the ear drum abusing thunder boomed.

"I'm going to bed, Ugly." Yahiko grumbled sleepily. He had been nodding off for the past fifteen minutes, despite the rolling thunder. It was only 9:30 in the evening, but Yahiko was tired from staying up so late waiting for Kaoru and then getting up early for his morning training. "Good night Kaoru, see you in the morning."

"Good night Yahiko." Kaoru said over her shoulder as she too headed off to her room. The power had been iffy all day because of the storm, but it had chosen that moment to finally go out. Kaoru was surprised it had lasted that long. She paused halfway to her room.

'_Okay I have candles and matches in my room.'_ She confirmed to herself as she carefully navigated in the darkness. Once in her room, Kaoru dug out two good sized pillar candles, lit them, and set them in a safe place on opposite areas of her room. Sitting on the floor, Kaoru gazed at the dancing shadows the flames were creating. She shivered, for some reason the shadows were kind of creepy, dancing and forming images on the wall. Rubbing the goose bumps from her arms, Kaoru dug around in her desk for her journal and a pencil. Far too many thoughts were going on in her head for her to sleep.

"Maybe I am going crazy." Kaoru said to herself as she flipped the journal open to the next empty page. The licked the pencil lead out of habit and started writing about the chase last night. She only got to the first line when the rain distracted her. She looked about her room again, thunder grumbled loudly over head. "Focus Kaoru." She returned to her writing. She rested the book in her lap and her head on her fist as she quickly wrote. But the rain was always in the back of her mind. She couldn't tune it out. It pounded the roof and the garden in the yard. The water cascaded off the sides of the house like a mini waterfall, gathering into massive puddles in the yard, before draining away into the street turned river. Kaoru closed her eyes.

She could almost feel the cool drops against her skin. Her hair plastered to her up turned face, her clothes becoming a second skin as they were soaked and molded to her body. The rain wasn't cold, just cool in the summer's night. A bolt of lightning zagged past her line of sight. Kaoru popped open her eyes again in time for the sickening crackle of thunder followed by the booming. Oh the sound was wonderful.

Kaoru paused.

The sound was wonderful? She liked thunder but she never liked it that much. Suddenly a realization came to her.

'_There is someone nearby who is has strong emotions for the rain.' She_ thought to herself as she looked down at her journal. Kaoru gasped. She had been sketching in her book with her eyes closed. Dropping her pencil she lifted the book so she could see it better. The page was covered in scribbles, looking like rain and in the rain was a face! Kaoru trembled slightly as she squinted to focus on the face showing through the rain. Two piercing eyes glared back at her and the start of a small pointed nose. Who was it?

'_Anyone you know?' _

Kaoru yelped, dropped the book and spun around in a battle ready crouch. But there was no one in the room. She scanned the dancing shadows to make sure.

'_Who are you?'_ Kaoru asked in return, unsure that the person would answer. Thunder rolled again and the answer came to her. _'You're the one who likes the rain so much.'_ She sensed a touch of confusion.

'_Ah yes, you were feeling that. Yes I must admit that I do like such weather. I'm surprised you were able to feel my emotions about it.'_ He answered back_. 'And I'm surprised that you are able to hear my thoughts.'_

'_Well you're able to hear my thoughts too,'_ Kaoru shot back, becoming uncomfortable with this strange conversation. She suddenly had the feeling he was laughing at her.

'_Of course I can, my dear.' _

Kaoru bristled; standing from her crouch she stalked over to the shutters of her window and threw them open. A flash of lightning instantly blinded her and the thunder vibrated though the house and her body. Rain fell from the roof in sheets mere inches from her window. The comment brought one word to mind…Arrogant.

'_Well excuse me, but I don't go wandering around reading thoughts all day.'_ Kaoru gazed out at the rain. This person had to be close by in order for her to pick up on his thoughts.

'_Have you ever tried?' _

Kaoru felt curiosity and strangely… a stab of jealousy before it was suddenly swallowed. Confused Kaoru picked her words with care. _'When I was younger I use to try to talk to people.'_ She confessed.

'_Did anyone ever answer you back?'_ he asked gently.

'_Not until tonight.' _

'_So….'_ He purred. Kaoru shivered, and not from the cold and stepped away from the window and settled on her bed. _'What do you think about communicating with me?'_

Kaoru's eye twitched. His thoughts and words caressed around her, leaving her shocked and slightly shaken. Instantly, she felt him dive into her mind. It felt like warm hand running through her hair, probing for thoughts and feelings. Kaoru was too stunned at the sensation to react, but she came to her senses fast and slammed the door to her mind, shoving the stranger away.

He did the mental equivalent of a stumble. Kaoru wondered if he physically stumbled as well. She jumped up from the bed.

'_Don't,'_ she warned, eyes flashing. Who the Hell did he think he was?

'_Forgive me.'_ He said simply. Yet his apology held sadness, a touch of anger, surprise and a bit of…stubbornness?

….. . .

Kenshin rubbed at his temple slightly. The shove had surprisingly hurt, but he deserved it. He shouldn't have dove so deep into her mind like that. He had been skimming the surface since the conversation began. He was so intrigued by this woman that he wanted to know more. Still, he had no right to do what he just did. Lowering his hand, he lifted his face back up to the rain.

Kenshin had long been soaked to the bone; he looked like he climbed out of a pool, clothes and all. Water dripped from his hair, nose, chin and fingertips. At his hip he wore a sword. Something he normally wore during such storms. Yet none of his kind caused this storm, this was Mother Nature showing herself. Yet it never hurt to be careful. He sighed in shame from the alley that he was standing in, his shoes inch deep in mud. Shame was such a strong emotion, one he had not felt in an awfully long time just like the feeling of joy because of the rain.

'_I am deeply sorry._' He added when she stayed silent. There was a few more tense moments were he felt wave of conflicting emotions flowing from her.

'_You're forgiven.'_ She finally said. _' But if you ever do that again, I'll find you and beat you with my bokken.'_ The tone held a humorous yet deathly serious note in it.

Kenshin chuckled mentally as well as physically. _'Never fear my firecracker, I wouldn't push my luck.'_ He felt her annoyance at the nick name but she let it go. After a few moments of awkward silence Kenshin cleared his throat. _'I think we should meet, in person.' _

'_I think not._' Kaoru's surprised voice made his lips turn up into a smile.

'_Don't be afraid of me.'_ Kenshin had her in his sights and he was not letting her go now.

'_I'm not afraid."_ Kaoru said proudly and Kenshin could picture the woman lifting her chin. _'I'm not stupid either.'_

'_I would never harm you.'_ He said sincerely. He felt her doubting his word, which made his temper flair but he stomped it down, after what he did, diving into her mind. She had a right to be suspicious of him._ 'What is your name?'_ He had heard the boy call her Kaoru, but he wanted to be sure that was her name.

Kaoru instantly closed her mind up, not letting him catch any glimmer of what her name could be. He pushed deeper and she turned deeper into herself.

'_Don't fight me,'_ he warned, his temper flaring anew. She was not going to defy him. '_You will only harm and exhaust yourself,'_ he added in a gentler tone.

"You don't have to pry." Kaoru said to her empty room, tears forming in her sapphire eyes. _'I would have offered my name, all you had to do was give me yours'_

Kenshin sighed, lifting his head straight up, letting the rain pelt him in the face. He wasn't use to this; he normally kept to his kind. Conversation with humans had always been rather limited to him. Demanding for what he wanted and always getting it. He lowered his head again. _'Forgive me, I seem to be horrible at conversation tonighty. But we will meet, tomorrow.'_ He added with the same stern tone. It was a demand, not a request or even a question.

'_Not on your life Mister.' _Kaoru growled, blinking back the tears.

Kenshin chuckled out loud, he was sure she could feel his mirth. _'I think it's time for you to sleep.' _

'_Oh, so you're being my father now?'_ Kaoru snapped back as Kenshin reentered her mind, gently this time, not searching for anything, not wanting to know anything, but to just send her to deep sleep.

Kenshin tisked in mock disapproval to her attitude, knowing it would set the firecracker off again_. 'You're tired, and it is late.'_

…. . .

"No I'm not." Kaoru said out loud, stifling a yawn as she lay back on her bed. Truth, she was very tired, but she hid that from him. But it seemed he knew it anyways. Damn that man whoever he was. Kaoru swore she would give him a sound beating if they ever came face to face like he wanted. Warmth flooded into her limbs, making her heavy and even sleepier. Kaoru figured this was all his doing. '_Stop!'_ she said suddenly afraid of what he was capable of.

'_Hush little one and sleep. No one will harm you, I will see to it personally.'_ His voice flowed like sinfully sweet melted chocolate over her body. She felt compelled to listen to him, to obey, just like when he asked her for her name. Somehow, his taking her safety personally didn't soothe her at all. It screamed of stalker. Which would connect him with what happened to her last night.

But no matter how hard she struggled, he was always a step ahead. He was so strong; his connection with her was powerful. It was as if he didn't even have to try, Kaoru on the other hand had to put effort into every word she said. And she had indeed exhausted herself with just this five minute conversation. Kaoru suddenly let loose her hold, falling limp against the bed as the warmth flooded into her body. Sleep took her almost instantly.

….. . .

Kenshin sighed, shoulders sagged slightly in fatigue. The girl had fight, that she did. But he knew now…oh yes. This woman was something special. It wasn't just because they could converse in thought. But because she had blue eyes….blue. Just like she was wearing that purple dress the night before… purple… all around him he could suddenly see colors, colors he hadn't seen in so long he had forgotten what they looked like. He didn't want to raise his hopes but…

No, no it couldn't be.

Kenshin turned and headed back down the alley. Hunger gnawed at him, he needed to find Sanosuke first before he went to feed. He had to tell him about this. That this slip of a woman, a teacher of swordsmanship, and a human…could be… might be…

His lifemate.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

A/n Oooo now we are getting a bit of a taste as to what Kenshin and Sano are. (If you haven't already guessed .0o) Don't worry if you didn't though, all will be revealed in the next chapter. It isn't really what I'm sure many of you think. .:cackles with evil laughter:.

An Update depends on reviews, so review :P They are always loved


	3. Hopes and Dreams

A/n I'm a bit disappointed that my last chapter got 10 reviews less than the first. But for the people who did review…many, many thank yous :) Anyway, School sucks… as we all know… Boys suck even more….stress kills. BUT I would hate to leave all of you hanging around with this story, from what I gather from the reviews everyone is hooked. I didn't get a chance to look through this chapter one last time, I'm running late for Japanese class 0o

I've got some very very good guesses as to what Kenshin and Sano are. In this chapter you will find out! Woot! Now don't get confused. Some will know just what I'm talking about… others will think I've lost my marbles. It will be a bit strange in this chapter, but things will clear up as the story goes. Just run with it.

I give this chapter a PG rating for swearing.

Disclaimer. I don't own Kenshin and I credit Ms. Feehan for much of the idea.

I dedicate this Chapter to Steve Irwin, who died this week. The world lost a great conservationist. He's now in Heaven's Zoo with all other animals. My prayers are with Terri, Bindi and Bob.

Chapter 3

… . .

'_Sano….where are you?'_ Kenshin raced though the dark city streets. His eyes barely able to stand the whirl of colors that flowed past him.

'_At the Akabeko, what is the matter Kenshin? You sound excited.'_ Sanosuke's voice held a tint of alarm in it. And for Kenshin to be excited usually meant danger was not far behind him.

Because they had shared blood, they had a bond and could contact each other across the miles. It was handy during those life and death moments when they needed help. Or in Sanosuke's case most of the time…a favor.

'_I found her.'_ Kenshin nearly wept, he stopped his running at a bridge about four blocks from the Akabeko. He griped the metal railing till it threatened to bend and he gazed at the water below. His reflection was distorted by the raindrops but he gazed anyway.

'_Who?_' Sano was swiftly exiting the restaurant, heading for his friend.

'_Kaoru._' Her name was like food to his starving body, he mouthed it over and over again, just to feel it on his tongue.

'_Wait…who?' _

'_Kaoru, the woman you chased last night.'_ Again the metal railing groaned under his grip and he eased off of it.

'_Ah, okay._' Sanosuke was still confused and bewildered. _' And…?_' knowing there must be more to this.

'_She is my lifemate.'_

There was a very charged silence that stretched for more than a few long moments. Kenshin suspected the man had tripped or ran into something.

'_Kenshin…she's human. Are you sure.' _He finally answered.

'_Of course I'm sure!'_ he snarled down at his distorted reflection. '_I feel emotions I haven't felt in gods know how long.'_ He calmed and added, _'I see colors. Sano the colors. How did I live without them?'_ he felt rather than heard Sanosuke sigh.

'_Well congratulations Man, and here I had a bet with the Prince that I would find my mate before you. Looks like I owe him a hundred.' _

Kenshin felt his lips twitch as a rare smile broke across his face. He tipped his head up, eyes open, watching the rain fall. He had his mate… the light to his dark. She would be his salvation. The threat of his turning was forever gone. He welcomed Sano mentally as the taller man slowly approached him on the bridge.

"Good Lord it must be true." Sanosuke exclaimed. Kenshin was smiling… a true, actual smile. He grabbed Kenshin by the shoulders and shook him until his head was snapping back and forth. "Why the Hell did you leave without her Kenshin, I thought for sure you wouldn't let her out of your sight." He let his rattled friend go and stepped back. "You haven't talked to her yet have you?" His brown eyes were wide.

Kenshin gave his head a shake to clear his vision and glared up at Sanosuke. "I don't want to rush things. I communicated with her mentally and that alone disturbed her greatly. You think she wouldn't have any objections if I just jumped into her window and carried her off into the night?" The thought had entered his mind a few times during their short conversation.

"She's you're life mate Kenshin. Of course she wouldn't care, she can't live without you. Just as you can't with out her." Sanosuke dragged a hand through his already messy hair. Kenshin smiled despite himself. Sanosuke was only a few years younger than himself, but he had kept hold of his emotions well. He was one of the few of his kind to keep his emotions after such a long time. His carefree and loving nature was the cause of his gift. Kenshin had often used Sanosuke as an anchor to keep him rooted in the world when he felt himself slipping into the darkness, into the hands of pure evil.

"No Sano, I know her…I can't rush this." He rested his left hand on the hilt of his sword out of habit. "I must be very careful with her, she's my life now." He lived for Kaoru. She came before everything. Even himself. If he had to suffer a few more days apart from her to make this easier for her, then so be it. They would have an eternity to be happy.

"How do you stand it?" Sano asked as he leaned over the railing and gazed down at his reflection. Kenshin joined him.

"I can't" the red-head answered honestly. His body ached to hold her, to feel her softness against him. His body nearly sang with yearning and he slammed the door on his emotions and feelings from Sano before the man knew just how affected he was. He nearly trembled. The beast in him wanted to turn around and run back to the side of his lifemate, to claim her right then and there and make her his.

"Must be awful." Sano joked. There was a hint of jealously in his voice.

"It is." Kenshin lied, and Sano knew it. It was the best feeling in his life, the very fact that he was feeling was a miracle in itself. Kenshin felt remorse for his close friend. And he set a hand on Sanosuke's back. The brown eyed man just gazed down at the water. "You'll find your lifemate soon Sano. Just hold on." He said softly, almost afraid he would only upset him.

Sanosuke sighed, turning around and resting his back and his elbows on the rail, his eyes finding the soft purple of Kenshin's eyes, even though all Sano saw were shades of grey in them.

"We are a dying race Kenshin. You yourself told me many times. Too many males, hardly any females. The Carpathians are going to die out. It's only a matter of time." He shoved his mop of wet hair from his face. "I hold on the hope that perhaps Tomoe, or now, maybe even Kaoru….will bare a girl child… one that is meant for me."

Kenshin bowed his head, his dripping bangs falling to cover his face. It was difficult for Carpathian females to get pregnant, even harder to stay pregnant. Even if the child survived long enough to be born. Majority of them were males. And even then…many children didn't live past the age of one. No matter how careful, how gentle they were with female children,…and they were very protective and gentle…they died. The last female to live past the age of two had been Tomoe…Kenshin's sister, Lifemate of the prince, Hiko Seijurou.

Tomoe had two miscarriages and was on her third pregnancy. She was over five months along, the longest she'd ever been. And Prince Hiko was half out of his mind protecting her and the unborn baby. Every unattached Carpathian male hung their hopes on every birth. Hoping that it would be a girl, hoping she would live past the danger, hoping that she was the lifemate of one of them. Odds where against everyone. A male without a lifemate would soon lose themselves. They would submit to the darkness for a taste of false power, for any kind of emotion. They would become a vampire.

It was Hell, having to hunt down friends, family. Men who has succumbed to the dark call. Vampires killed indiscriminately, they were murderers. They had to be stopped and killed. Kenshin was one of the hunters. He had killed his far share of Vampires before he was ordered to stop by Prince Hiko. Every kill took a part of the soul, pushing the Carpathian closer to the edge of darkness. He had no lifemate to anchor him. He was becoming a danger. Everyone feared Kenshin becoming a vampire. Not even the Prince wanted to risk Kenshin. Even though they all knew he would embrace the dawn before becoming a vampire, they didn't want to take the risk. To become the undead rather than immortal.

But here he was, walking the edge of darkness, when he was suddenly blinded by light and colors. His lifemate, the other half of the same whole. His anchor. His savior. Kenshin would give his life for her, he would die by her hand if she so wished it. Kenshin was at her mercy and he was so very grateful.

"Sano," he finally said, looking up to his friend. "If Kaoru bears me a daughter, I would gladly pray that you would be your lifemate." He said sincerely. Sano blinked a few times. Emotion swirled in his eyes before he was able to harden himself.

"I pray for that too Kenshin. I'll protect Kaoru as I do Tomoe. With my life. Human or not, she will be one of us soon, and she may hold my future." He stood from the rail at took Kenshin by the arm gripping him close to the elbow, Kenshin did the same before they pulled each other into a brief hug. "Now come on." Sanos' mood instantly changed back to his normal carefree mood. "We should to tell the Prince and Tomoe. I think Tomoe will be so happy to finally have another woman so near. I think we are smothering her."

Kenshin laughed and the pair vanished in a swirl of mist and rain.

…. .. .

"Well it's about damn time." Hiko growled over at the much shorter Kenshin. "You're what… almost a thousand years old now." He turned his light brown eyes away from his fellow Carpathian and friend. "Still. I'm glad you finally found her. The fact that she is human brings up many questions." The Prince was tall, taller than even Sano. With the dark hair that was common of their race, and the broad shoulders, Hiko cut an imposing figure. He spoke with a hint of a middle European accent. Though born in Japan, Hiko spent half of his life in Romania, the Carpathian mountains to be specific. The mountain range stretched over many countries, and was home to more than half of their people.

Kenshin stood at the lonely table that Hiko was sitting alone at. A chest board sat in front of him. Rain dripped from his clothes and hair to the wood floor, but no one seemed to care. He cleared his throat. "If you don't mind me saying Hiko… you were over one thousand and three hundred by the time you found Tomoe and I, that you were." He smiled gently at the scowl the prince shot at him as he moved a knight on the board. The prince was no doubt playing against his lifemate, who was upstairs, resting. She sent him her moves mentally, and by the look of the board, Kenshins' sister was kicking Hiko's ass.

"Stop distracting me boy, can't you see that I'm trying to play?" Hiko growled as his eyes glued to the board. But after a moment his eyes flickered back to Kenshin, who stood silently, waiting. "Is there anything different about her Shinta?"

Kenshin never did like the fact that Tomoe let out his childhood name out. Then again, it was nearly impossible to hide anything between lifemates. "She is a sensitive, we were able to speak to each other mentally." He admitted.

"Hmm," Hiko moved a pawn and then sat back with a smug look on his face before turning back to Kenshin. "We have always thought that such humans could become candidates to be lifemates. But we never tested it out. As far as I know, you are the first to have a human lifemate. It won't be very easy for you."

Kenshin shifted, his body still screaming at him to find Kaoru. "What do you mean?"

"Human females have not been imprinted with our ways, obviously. She won't know how to act or what to do; she very well may fight this." Hiko swore, picked up the queen of his opponent and slammed it down. "You're sister is a ruthless player." He growled at him.

Kenshin only smiled.

'_Don't mind him Kenshin, he's a sore loser._' Came the soft voice of his sister from somewhere in the massive house.

"Of that I have no doubt."

"What?" Hiko glared at the red-head.

"Nothing." He flashed a smile before bowing in farewell and swiftly joining Sano who was gazing into the fireplace and the pair made to leave the room.

"Don't forget our bet Sanosuke!" Hiko called after them. Sano didn't look back but raised a hand in acknowledgement.

…. . .

Kaoru slipped into her sandals with a yawn. Another late night. She was able to call Yahiko to tell him to not wait up for her this time. The boy grumbled about having to fix his own dinner but that was all. Kaoru smiled softly to herself as she stepped into the warm summer night. It was still early, about ten in the evening, but still three hours later than she usually worked.

Kaoru was a bit nervous about walking home again, especially after that strange conversation she had the night before. Kaoru felt her stomach do a strange little flip as she thought about whoever that man was. His voice. It was the stuff of dreams. Kaoru felt herself blush and she ducked her head at some passersby. She shouldn't be thinking such thoughts. He could be a really old man... or a really young one for all she knew. But something in her gut told her otherwise.

She felt a soft breeze brush past her and a moment later a hand caught her just above the wrist. Electricity bolted through her body. She literally froze in mid step as the strange sensations raced through her blood. Her heart skipped several beats, her fingers tingled and colors melted together. When she was finally able to compose herself, Kaoru turned to the owner of the hand on her arm. Soft amethyst eyes greeter her, as well as a mass of blood red hair. He had a handsome face, slightly feminine but he had an aura that reeked of masculinity.

"Hello."

His voice weaved a vision of lust and all things sinful, sending Kaoru blushing in the darkness. And all he had done was greet her with one word. Kaoru jumped away but the hand on her am held tight.

"Um, hello." Kaoru returned, tugging her hand gently from the grip on her wrist, it was like an iron band. "Who are you? What do you want?" The man smiled, showing sharp white teeth that sent her heart racing. The man let go of her arm but instantly linked his arm around hers and walked with her.

"I'm Kenshin Himura." He said, as if that answered it all. He was only a few inches taller then Kaoru, so he was pretty short for a man, but power rolled off of him. It made Kaoru uncomfortable, and was strangely magnetic. "I believe we talked last night."

Kaoru stiffened. This was the man that she was talking with last night in her room. The one who dove into her mind and insisted that they meet. She tried to pull away but again he held her tightly.

"Don't be afraid." He soothed in a voice that flowed like warm honey and sent calming warmth flooding into her body. She found herself leaning closer. "I'm not going to hurt you." He added, his breath played across her shoulder. Again Kaoru snapped back to her senses and jumped back.

"Let me go." She demanded, her voice shook slightly. Kenshin tisked but did as he was told, letting her arm slip from his. Instantly she missed the contact and that scared her. She turned and continued on her way home, Kenshin followed her. "So how did you know I could talk to you mentally, or was our contact an accident?" As much as the man unnerved her, she was fascinated that there was another out there that could communicate in such a way.

Kenshin was caught, as her lifemate, he was unable to lie. "That night that you were chased, I was there."

Kaoru whirled around, sapphire eyes glaring daggers. "Was it you who was doing-"

"No, no." Kenshin interrupted. "That was my friend Sanosuke, I caught him and reprimand him. I was the one who said you were rather beautiful."

"Oh so you followed me home then. Stalker." Kaoru spat and stomped away, very aware that he was still following her.

"I was making sure you made it home safely." He said, slightly exasperated. "I could never harm you."

"And I'm supposed to believe that Mr. Himura?"

"Yes. Never. I would sooner harm myself then to harm you." Kenshin hurried after her to walk beside her. "Call me Kenshin, please."

Kaoru paused, and turned to face the strange man. "And I should just believe that?"

Kenshin stepped closer. His eyes devouring the girl in front of him as she stepped back, pressing her back against the stone wall along the sidewalk. He reached out to set a hand on her cheek, Kaoru tried to pull away but found herself leaning to his touch. "Yes, I could never lie to you. Even if I wanted."

Kaoru smirked, this guy was a piece of work wasn't he? Handsome, powerful, yet he had the worst pick up lines she had ever heard. "Look, you're cute and all and It's great that we share this strange communication but I don't….think…" Kaoru paused, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she looked around. Dread flooded her body, chilling her to the very bone.

"What is it?" Kenshin's soft purple eyes suddenly grew hard and cold, looking up and down the road they were traveling. He scanned the area and felt nothing but sleeping humans. Yet he felt the fear and unease from his lifemate. Then suddenly he felt an unmistakable evil, but it was far too late to do anything.

"I don't know." She whispered before giving her head a shake. A strange cold wind kicked up and she felt Kenshin step closer to her. An animalistic growl issuing from his throat. Kaoru's heart leapt in her throat and she whipped her head around and gasped, seeing the purpled eyed man was now an amber eyed man. He was giving a death glare right over her head. Kaoru was afraid to look. Kenshin yanked Kaoru away from the wall and shoved her behind him as they stepped away into the middle of the road.

Kaoru stole a look over his shoulder.

Standing on the wall was a man, tall, slim and sly looking. But what caught her attention the most was that he had fangs protruding from his mouth, almost reaching his chin and claws at least three inches long, and blond hair that stood straight up. "Good lord. Who is that?" she whispered, suddenly glad that Kenshin was there, as strange as he was. She felt safe, despite the fearsome person that stood just over her head.

"Sawagejo Chou" Kenshin sneered. A vampire he had been hunting for a long while before he had been called off duty. And here he was, and here Kenshin was, with no sword and his lifemate to protect. "Damn."

A/n Gah! For those who may not know… Chou was the blonde broom headed fighter that collected swords and fought Kenshin with the long super flexible sword. (When Kenshin got his new Reverse blade sword.)

Anyways… well there you go…it's strange I know, I know.. but give it a chance. The idea is a rather good one. I know this was a lot of information, but it will sort itself out soon.

points review! They are loved… and much needed for me to live though till next chapter.


	4. The Fight

A/n OMG I got so many reviews for my last chapter! You have no idea just how happy all of you made me this week. I am rewarding you by posting a new chapter a whole week early Woot! Also because I'm having issues going on in my life, I don't think I can get much writing in for the next week to two weeks until things settle down.

I got a few people asking me what the heck a Carpathian is. For all of you. Don't worry, you'll learn more about them as the story goes. I just want to make one thing clear. They are not Vampires… nor are they werewolves or shape shifters. They are Carpathians… and that's something different in itself. As you will see. In case you are wondering. The Carpathian mountains is a real mountain range that stretches across Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Silesia, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia and northern Hungary. It is where the Carpathian race is said to originate. It is the home of the Prince but I made Japan home of Prince Hiko because it just fit my story better lol. It's all very interesting, and you'll hear (well read) some of the Carpathian language latter on in the story.

Now on to the story! (this is one of the longer chapters I have ever uploaded)

Disclaimer I don't own RK nor the wonderful work of Christine Feehan.

………………………………………………………………………..

This chapter is rated PG-13 for violence and language.

………………………………………………………………………..

Where we last left off: "Sawagejo Chou" Kenshin sneered. A vampire he had been hunting for a long while before he had been called off duty. And here he was, and here Kenshin was, with no sword and his lifemate to protect. "Damn."

………………………………………………………………………..

Chapter 4

This was not how Kenshin wanted the first meeting with Kaoru to go. She trembled against his back, the vampire feeding off of her fear. Grinning with his overly enlarged teeth at her. The beast in Kenshin snarled in anger, he wanted to rip Chou to little bits.

The wind picked up, howling down the roadway. Kenshin felt the black clouds growing over head; churning with a storm and heavy with rain. His anger was causing the strange weather; using it to his advantage. _'Kaoru, stay close to me…do as I tell you and whatever you do, don't go near him.'_ He said mentally, not taking his glowing eyes from the vampire.

'_You think I want to get close to something like that? And don't tell me what to do, I don't even know you.' _She shot back, but did as she was told, keeping close to the red-head.

"Oh no need to frighten the girl." Chuo said, his voice alluring, pulling the innocent Kaoru to him. But she fought the pull, all but ignored his voice. Kenshin grinned at her small victory. Because he had not shared blood with Kaoru, he had to speak with her on the common path; any Carpathian, vampire, or sensitive alike would be able to hear them. This put them at a slight disadvantage.

When his call didn't work. The blond broom headed vampire jumped from the wall, landing with supernatural grace, hands in his pockets and slowly stalked towards them. Kenshin felt his fangs explode into his mouth, grazing his bottom lip. He lowered his body into a fighting stance, even without his sword Kenshin was a great fighter. And he was going to do anything in his power to keep the evil creature away from his mate. He growled a warning, his eyes literally glowing golden amber.

"I wouldn't get too close." Kenshin warned. He didn't want to fight. Not here, not now. But the vampire only smirked, vanishing in a blur of speed. Kenshin followed him easily and grabbed Kaoru, jumping back against the wall as the vampire landed right where they had been standing.

Kaoru gasped at the sped Kenshin had moved. Her head still reeled from the sudden movement as Kenshin jerked her away. The red-head pressed his back against Kaoru till she was up against the wall, his arms spread out to protect her on ether side.

"Mr. Himura, what is it?" She whispered. She didn't think he heard her. The wind took the words away as soon as she said them.

"He's a Vampire." He said over his shoulder, eyes on the creature.

'_Pish, yeah and I'm the Easter bunny.' _"I mean it Himura, he's really freaky." Kaoru pressed. However, Kenshin didn't have time to answer. The vampire leapt in the air, hands free from their pockets, and came shrieking down at them. Kenshin leapt into the air and caught him halfway. The pair fell and landed lightly on their feet in the center of the road.

Kaoru's eyes grew wide as she saw Kenshin with his inhuman glowing eyes and fangs. If she didn't know any better, he was just like the other. Only the other, the one he called Chou, was a lot uglier. His skin was pulled tightly across his skull. It was as pale as liquid paper, only it had a sickening shade of gray. Chou hadn't looked like that a moment ago, he had changed suddenly. Kaoru watched them circle each other once…twice, then they attacked. Kaoru was reminded of a pair of wild dogs fighting. Teeth snapping, claws, and the growling, it wasn't human. None of this was human. In fact, if she was a smart girl…and she was, she should be running home while they were distracted.

But something held Kaoru still. She couldn't leave Kenshin, she was afraid for him. That feeling confused Kaoru greatly, but she didn't dwell on it. Kenshin was thrown against the wall and he slid to sit on the ground. Blood poured from bites and scratches, his bright fuchsia gi was shredded. Kaoru wanted to run, but she found herself falling to her knees next to him.

"Himura!

Kenshin felt her fear, felt her urge to run away. But she couldn't, she wouldn't leave her lifemate. He cursed to himself as she fell to her knees, worried for him, even though he knew her body was screaming at her to run away.

"I'm alright Kaoru." He grunted as he stood back up. It was the first time he had used her name, and it obviously surprised her. "Please call me Kenshin."

"Hey what are you doing, stay down!" Kaoru jumped back to her feet, only to find herself shoved back behind the red head.

Chou stood in the center of the road, bleeding, but far from mortally wounded. Kenshin wasn't going to let him get away, not after he had seen Kaoru. He was sure the vampire figured that she was his lifemate, and that kind of information could be damming if it got out to other vampires.

'_Kenshin! Are you all right? What's going on?'_ Came Sano's voice in his head. Nether Kaoru or the vampire could hear it.

'_I'm okay, I'm fighting Sawagejo Chou._' He answered calmly as he stepped back out onto the road.

'_Damn it Kenshin! I'll be right there.'_

'_No! I have Kaoru with me, you stay right where you are. I'll call if I need you.'_ Kenshin knew he wouldn't need Sano, Chou was a lesser vampire, hardly worth his salt. Kenshin had been toying with him, trying to force the vampire to run away. But he seemed as stubborn as he was worthless. And now Kenshin wanted Chou to stay that way so he can keep Kaoru a secret as long as he could.

'_But Kenshin.'_

'_No Sano, I'm going to have a hell of a time trying to explain this to Kaoru, I don't need you to add to this mess. Trust me, I'll call for you if I need help.' _

'_Well you better.'_

'_I will! Now leave me alone, I can't concentrate!'_ Kenshin growled. He felt Sano close the door on their mental link, leaving him with only Kaoru's emotions to deal with. Chou jumped at him, clawing for his face, trying to scratch Kenshin's eyes out. But Kenshin caught both his hands. The vampire was caught, and yet Kenshin had both his hands full as well. Chou bared his fangs, diving down to rip Kenshin's throat out. When out of nowhere a fist caught the vampire squarely in the jaw.

"Kaoru! Get back!" Kenshin demanded, for his lifemate had jumped into the fray. He took the moment to shove the vampire away, sending him flying more than a few yards. He felt a surge of pride for his lifemate. Terrified as she was, she couldn't fight the call of her body to help him.

"You're welcome!" She screamed at him over the howling wind. Was that the thanks she got from saving him from being eaten? But she retreated back to the sidewalk as Kenshin darted after the stunned vampire. He was a blur, even to the vampire and Kenshin skidded to a stop directly in front of him and slammed his hand litteraly into Chou's chest. Kaoru covered her mouth with both hands as she watched Kenshin pull a still beating heart from the screaming vampire. Black-red blood gushed from the wound.

Kenshin flung the heart away to give him enough time to incinerate it before it could make its way back to its owner. The acid like blood of the vampire burned through his gi, his hand and arm felt as if they were on fire. Lightning danced in the clouds and Kenshin tried to direct a bolt to the heart. Chou tackled Kenshin, breaking his concentration. The bolt of lightning hit the streetlight only yards away from Kaoru and the girl threw herself to the ground.

_Kaoru!_ Kenshin struggled with the vampire to get a look at the young woman.

Glass and fragments of metal rained down around her. Kaoru curled herself into as small a ball as she could. Her ears rang with the force of the thunder, car alarms were blaring everywhere. _'What did I do to get myself into this?'_ Kaoru said to herself as she slowly uncurled. Her stomach heaved at the sight of the vampire's heart rolling its way back to the vampire.

Chou bit Kenshin on the arm, causing the red-head to roar demonically, his own fangs flashing as he struggled not to bite back. The vampire rolled away from Kenshin, grabbed his heart and shoved it back into the gapping hole in his chest. The evil creature didn't stick around to see what else Kenshin might try and vanished in a blur of speed.

Kenshin got to his knees, screaming in anger that Chou had escaped. He would have gone after him, but he was weak from blood loss and he had to worry about his lifemate. That didn't stop his anger from flowing from him though. Three bolts of lightning cut through the dark sky and rain poured down. Kenshin tipped his head to the sky and let the rain wash away the acid like blood of the vampire.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru darted out into the street, gasping when she saw his wounds.

"It took all that to get you to call me by my name?" He panted as he clamped a hand over an inch deep gash in his neck. Blood oozed from countless cuts, bites and scratches but it was the gash in his neck and arm that gave him the most trouble.

"Oh my god, I got to get you to a hospital." Kaoru helped him to his feet but he refused to let her pull him back the way they came.

"No, they can't help me." He said in a calm soft voice. The anger slowly washing away from him with the rain.

"Yes they can!" Kaoru was almost in hysterics, grabbing him by the arm. "We just left the hospital, it's only a few blocks."

"No Kaoru." He pulled her to him, not caring that he was bleeding all over her. "I can't go to the hospital." He said in a more firm tone, pressing his hand harder over the still bleeding gash in his neck. Kaoru tried to pull away, still intent on dragging him to the hospital but he held her tightly. He was torn, he wasn't sure if he should go home to heal, to his Prince or to Kaoru's dojo so he could keep her safe, or take her to his home. But he was still a stranger to her. She wouldn't come easy.

Kenshin staggered and Kaoru had to help him stay on his feet.

"I swear Kenshin Himura, I'm not going to have your death on my hands just because you are a stubborn, arrogant man." She growled. Kenshin, despite his pain, couldn't help but smile at her spirit.

"I don't know if you noticed Kaoru, but I'm not exactly human." He swallowed, watching her eyes and reaching out for any emotion she was feeling. Kenshin tried to close his mind, his body was crying out for blood. Blood would heal him quickly. His body was using it's own strength to heal the wounds and hunger started to gnaw at him. He could hear Kaoru's heart beating franticly in her chest, the rush of blood in her body drowned out the sound of the rain around him. But Kenshin forced himself to ignore it. He couldn't… wouldn't take blood from her after she just witnessed the fight with Chou. He wanted it to be a calm, sensual taking of blood, like it should be between lifemates.

Kaoru swallowed hard as Kenshin gazed at her like he wanted to devour every bit of her. His eyes seem to burn right past her clothes and skin to her very soul. She jolted out of her thoughts and pulled away slightly, her work uniform covered in his blood, rain dripped from her hair and chin, soaking into her clothes. _'This guy is for real isn't he?'_ She couldn't,…wouldn't believe what he said about the blond broom head that attacked them. "Right, he was a vampire, and you are…..?"

"A Carpathian." Kenshin answered.

'_Oh, god. He said that with a straight face. He must be serious.'_ Kaoru smirked, "A bit far from home aren't you?" Kaoru lead the limping man from the middle of the road, back to the sidewalk.

"I was born here." Kenshin stated walking, leading Kaoru, who went willingly. "We originated from Europe, yes...but we are scattered now." More than scattered, they were becoming rare.

"And what exactly is a Carpathian?... you looked just like that 'vampire' back there…and are you leading me home!" She shrieked, realizing they were heading in the direction of home and were more than halfway to her house. "Oh, no. You have to get some help!" She stopped, pulling at his arm again. But Kenshin hardly moved an inch.

"I will, trust me Kaoru." He pulled her back to his side and continued on. "I'm going to make sure you're safe first.

"Do you think that 'vampire' will come back after you?" Kaoru bit her bottom lip.

"Not if he's smart, which he is, unfortunately. "Kenshin almost wished Chou would return so he could rip him to shreds. But only if Kaoru was safe from any sort of harm.

… . .

"Okay so let me get this all straight." Kaoru held up her hand, raising a finger as she listed. "Carpathians are a race of humans." She lifted another. "You are not immortal, but may as well be because you are very long lived. You drink blood from people." Kaoru shuddered at that one and stole a look from the corner of her eyes, Kenshin was just nodding silently. "You can't be in the sun. Things like crosses, garlic, and fire…don't harm you in the slightest."

Kenshin chuckled. "All purely fictional. Well, fire will burn us, but we heal very fast." Kenshin was much calmer now. His arms stopped burning from the vampire blood, and the freak storm, (that he had caused) vanished just as fast as it came. The wound on his neck no longer bled, but it was slow in closing, he knew it must look ghastly.

"Right. And you bury yourself alive if you need massive healing?"

"The earth heals us." Kenshin said matter-of-factly. They had been walking at a rather slow pace, despite the threat of the vampire. He had been explaining a lot about himself to Kaoru. She humored him, sucking up the information like a sponge with only the occasional sarcastic remark. "Carpathian saliva will heal minor wounds and bruises instantly. And earth mixed with saliva and packed into a massive wound will aid greatly in healing.

Kaoru only looked at him for a few moments. "You can't be serious? That doesn't sound very sanitary." Her tone made her pause. Why was she even taking what he was saying as truth? That was the most far fetched thing she had ever heard. But no matter what he said, however crazy it sounded, she wanted to believe him.

Kenshin only smiled at her comment. "I knew you would think something like that, being a nurse and all."

"Okay." Kaoru held up her sixth finger. This was ridiculous, she thought. He really believed he was some superior race. But Kaoru couldn't help but be intrigued. Even as they walked home, his small scratches and cuts had already healed and the only evidence of them was dried blood and the shredded gi. She tried to see this all as some elaborate joke, but she found it near impossible to believe that Kenshin would lie to her. She didn't know why, she only just met the man. There was something about his eyes. When he looked at her, she felt as if he could see into her very soul; as if he knew every little secret about her.

It was unnerving to say the least.

"Vampires are Carpathians who have turned evil because of their lack of emotion?" This was the part that confused Kaoru. "That vampire sure did look like it had emotions. He was pissed off."

"After a couple of centuries, a Carpathian goes color blind. Emotions start to dwindle. In a sense, we get bored of living." Kenshin sighed heavily. "Emotions become weaker and weaker until they are nothing but a memory, and then the memory grows fainter and fainter, until we are so desperate to feel something that some Carpathians turn Vampire for the illusion of power and a short moment of feeling. They get tired of not living, just existing."

"Some?" Kaoru blinked as she realized they had been standing at her back gate for some time.

"Many refuse to become killers, they embrace the dawn." Kenshin said somberly.

"They kill themselves?" Kaoru gasped, eyes growing wide when Kenshin nodded. "Well I guess I would understand." She sure wouldn't want to become a killer.

Kenshin reached out behind her and opened the gate and held it open for her.

"Every time a Carpathian kills, they lose a part of their soul; they grow darker and darker, speeding up the process, bringing them ever closer to the edge that much faster. If a Carpathian ever killed a human, for no reason but to kill them for the rush of power, that's almost a sure fire way to turn vampire. Many turn vampire by feeding on a human till they die." Kenshin had been on that edge, his life hardly worth living... He found it hard to believe that he had bees so close to embracing the dawn only two nights ago. Kaoru was indeed his savior.

"You've killed?" The dark haired woman whispered. There was not hate or fear in her voice, just… disbelief. Kenshin suddenly felt an overwhelming flood of shame. How unworthy he felt standing next to her pure innocence. Kaoru must have felt it because she reached out and set a hand on his shoulder. Again they felt a jolt run through them both, but Kaoru held tight.

"We kill vampires." Kenshin whispered hoarsely, his large eyes dropping to the ground. "Traitors, humans who proved to be too much of a danger to us and, or our mates and families. Though killing humans is very rare." He added in a hurry. Kenshin lifted his eyes. They were a light yellow, still glowing from the fight that still tingled in his body. Kaoru was regarding him with her sapphire eyes, large and dark in the night time, though for Kenshin, it was as light as day. He thought he would feel like scum under such a pure and innocent gaze, yet all he felt from her, was understanding.

Kenshin felt his heart burst with a love so grand he could hardly put it to words. He wanted to scoop the woman up and carry her off and make her his. But he didn't. He fought every male urge and instinct. Even though she was starting to accept everything he said as truth, Kaoru was still not ready.

"Have you killed humans before?" She tipped her head to the side.

"A handful." Kenshin admitted. Men who were in liege with a vampire and were truly evil. Men who threatened our prince, knowing who he was and –"

"Prince?" Kaoru dropped her hand, clutching them together to her chest as she gazed at Kenshin. "You have a Prince?"

Jealousy tugged at Kenshin. Hell, it pulled at him; making his eyes glow anew and anger build in him. Just the thought of Kaoru thinking highly of another male… another _Carpathia_n male, made him clench his fists.

Kaoru blinked, feeling the anger roll off him.

Kenshin swallowed his anger, shaking his head softly. Unable to hold himself back any longer, he pulled Kaoru to him and pressed a kiss to her lips, claiming her. Kaoru struggled, but he held her tightly till she let herself relax and give into the kiss. He felt her emotions churning like a boiling pot. Slowly, with a hungry growl, he pulled away, stated for the moment, and happy to see that the kiss had dazed her.

"I'll explain that to you later, right now, you need to get some rest." Kenshin petted her dark hair, marveling at how the moon gave it a blue sheen.

… . .

Kaoru was shocked to find herself pouting at the idea of Kenshin leaving, then she was even more shocked that she had let him kiss her. She didn't even retaliate against him. She was angry, confused, and still so very curious about this man. She pulled further away from Kenshin, feeling cold wrap around her the moment she did so.

"Hai. Some of us have lives." She snapped rudely. Kenshin only smiled. It made her heart do a few flips before she was able to look away, blatantly ignoring his slightly pointed canines and the heat that settled in the pit of her abdomen. "Don't ever do that again."

Kenshin took a step back, his hand already on the large gate. "You seemed to enjoy it." He whispered softly, his eyes glowing, but not from anger. His voice curled around her, soft as velvet. Kaoru shot him a murderous look that only brought forth chuckles from the man, which he tried in vain to swallow back. She was his; already he could feel her body calling for him, as his was calling for hers. Kenshin dropped his voice low. "Don't worry Kaoru, soon you'll be begging for my kisses."

And with that he was gone, the gait swung shut with enough force for the latch to fall into place.

Kaoru's whole body twitched. _'That arrogant, insufferable s.o.b..' _She muttered a few curses as she stomped into the house. She fell silent to keep from waking Yahiko. It was very late, being that she and Kensh- _Mr. Himura_ took their sweet time walking home. Once in her room, Kaoru snapped on the light and headed right to her bathroom. The florescent light in the bathroom hurt her eyes for some reason, but she blinked the bit of pain away.

'_Good God.' _She looked like she just stepped out of a B grade horror movie. Her hair was a mess, blood and dirt covered her face and blood covered most of the front part of her clothing. Why didn't Kenshin tell her she looked like a walking massacre? Perhaps he couldn't see it all in the darkness.

"Pish, if he is what he says he is, he can see in the dark just fine." Kaoru growled as she peeled off the stiff clothing, dropping it into the hamper to be washed later. The tub was filled with steamy hot water and lavender oil. It was never too late for a bath, Kaoru mused. Especially covered in blood and dirt the way she was. She couldn't help but let her mind drift back to the red-headed man. Kenshin Himura. She was still so very curious about him and his…"kind" But most of all, she wanted to know just what the Hell he meant when he said she would be begging for him to kiss her.

'_Pah, not in a million years Himura.' _Kaoru sank into the soothing bath.

'_I can wait, question is… can you?' _

Kaoru slipped slightly and tumbled the rest of the way into the large tub. She flailed about to get her head out of the water as she sat there and coughed a bit, her hair covering her face.

'_Damn it Kenshin! Get out of my head!'_ She pulled her wet hair from her face.

'_It was you who contacted me, my dear.'_ Came Kenshin's smooth, ever calm voice.

It was? Kaoru sat in the tub for a few long moments. _'How is that possible?'_

'_We are connected, Kaoru.' _

'_Why?'_

There was a long pause and Kaoru thought that perhaps he wouldn't answer, or that she has somehow lost contact. But after a few more moments he finally answered.

'_Because,…you are my lifemate, Kaoru.' _

Kaoru sat in silence, not sure if she had understood right. She felt Kenshin's nervousness as he waited in silence.

"What the hell does that mean!" she shouted out loud, her voice echoed softly in the tiled room. Kenshin sighed mentally; Kaoru didn't take that as a good sign. _'Kenshin?'_

'_I think it would be best if we were in person before we talk about this.' _

'_I think you better answer my question Kenshin Himura._' Kaoru countered, anger now consuming all of her.

'_You're being stubborn.'_ He shot back.

'_Ya'think! After what I just saw tonight you owe_ _me lots of answers and I KNOW you have them Himura so you had better start talking._' Kaoru grabbed a sponge and started to scrub herself, her anger helping to remove the dried blood.

Kenshin sighed again. _'There is only one thing that can keep a Carpathian from turning to the darkness or killing himself._' He started solemnly. Kaoru slowed in her scrubbing, her curiosity getting the better of her anger.

"What?" she whispered, feeling as though she already knew the answer. Kenshin spoke softly.

'_The light to his darkness… the other half ….his lifemate. The one woman who was made just for him.' _

'_But I'm not Carpathian!'_ Kaoru felt panic.

'_No, you're not. That's what makes this so strange. Women are rare. Carpathians rarely give birth, and when they do, it's almost always male. We are a dying race. But no one has ever heard of a human woman becoming a lifemate.'_ He paused then quickly added. _'I believe it has something to do with you psychic abilities, that you are a sensitive.' _

'_So what does all of this mean?_' Kaoru asked in deadly calm, her mind not wanting to accept what Kenshin was insinuating.

'_You are my mate.' _

'……_..'_

'_Kaoru?' _

"Oh that's bullshit!" Kaoru didn't care that she had yelled out loud as she climbed out of the tub.

'_I'm not lying to you Kaoru._' Kenshin said sternly. She could almost picture the look he would have in his eyes. _'Look inside yourself Kaoru, you can feel it too._'

'_No! no, no!'_ Kaoru scrubbed herself dry and shrugged her nightshirt on. _'Any man I want as my mate will be of MY choosing!_' Kaoru stormed out of the bathroom and paced in front of her bed. She felt a sudden wave of anger from Kenshin and his voce turned cold and hard.

'_No other man will ever touch you Kaoru.'_ He growled_, 'No one other than me.'_ It was the cold hard truth; she knew it because Kenshin could never lie to her.

'_I refuse to accept that!'_ Kaoru was on the verge of tears now. She stomped her foot childishly. Kaoru felt hands pull her down on the bed roughly. _'Baka! I hate you!'_ Kaoru couldn't help the sob that escaped her. She refused to believe any of this, but deep down, she knew it to be true.

'_Oh Kaoru.'_ Kenshin whispered softly, the invisible hands that pushed her to her bed petted her head softly. _'Forgive me for being harsh. I know you must hate me now.. but I love you Kaoru, with all my being._'

"B-but you don't even k-know me." Kaoru cried softly as she crawled under the covers.

'_I've been waiting for you all my life Kaoru.'_ He said gently. _' I know everything about you. You were made just for me. You are my savior, the woman to keep me anchored to sanity. You're to keep me away from the dark. And in return I see to your happiness, I'll do anything to make you happy for the rest of our lives.'_

Kaoru let her tears continue the fall as somehow the light snapped off, bathing her in darkness and shadows. Kenshin hushed her softly.

'_Sleep now Kaoru, I'll watch over you.' _

Kaoru didn't think that sleep would come at all, but she suddenly felt so tired and heavy that she was asleep even before Kenshin's mental touch retreated.

…………………………………………………………………………

Kenshin is such a brat! Oh well, He's use to getting things his way. Me think Kaoru will be putting him in his place soon eh?

Confused? Got questions? Well leave them in REVIEWS! And I will answer! Reviews are loved! And as you see, they get you updates much faster.

So review:P


	5. Evil Kidnapping

A/n Woot! New chapter. I'm still so happy that everyone likes the story and leaving really great (and funny) reviews!

MikaylaMae- I know, I can't stand the idea of Kaoru letting someone walk all over her, no matter how powerful they are. It just doesn't seem her character.

rainingfruit – Muahah not offended at all :) Yes it is all fascinating and you'll learn something new about Vampires and/or Carpathians in every chapter. They are a interesting people.

flaming-amber – yes the price of the Carpathians is Hiko :P it just seemed very overdone to have Kenshin the leader of them all. And the strongest. So I made him 3rd strongest and 2nd in command. But we learn about that later on.

…………………………………………………………………………………..

I found a Quote from the "Dark" Books that I just loved and had to share it. I may share more quotes if you like. This one is a bit long, they won't all be long…maybe 2 or 3 lines. But this one was just classic.

'_You're European, aren't you? Wealthy, and very, very arrogant.' _

He found himself smiling at her teasing. He never smiled. Not for six hundred years or more. _'All of those things.'_ He waited for her laughter again, needing it with the same craving an addict felt for a drug.

When it came, it was low and amused, as caressing as the touch of fingers on his skin. _'I'm an American. Oil and water, don't you think?'_

He had a fix on her now, a direction. She would not get way from him. _'American women can be trained with the right methods._' He drawled it deliberately, anticipating her reaction.

'_You really are arrogant.' _

_- _Raven (human) to Mikhail (Carpathian Prince) "Dark Prince" by Christine Feehan

…………………………………………………………………………………….

I give this Chapter a .. um.. PG -13 rating for language and some disturbing description ( for some)

Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin or the works of Christine Feehan

Now… On to the story!

* * *

Chapter 5

Chou had pink bloody foam at his mouth when he stomped into the stone opening that would lead him into the underground home. He had taken blood to help him heal but nothing but more blood would heal him fully. But Chou had to report back to his master. The Master Vampire was many times stronger than he was, but he had sworn allegiance with him in order to keep in his territory. Not that he trusted any other vampire than himself. The cave opened up before him, naked light bulbs strung from the top of the cave cast a garish light at the scene inside. He had little idea where the power came from, and the vampire hardly cared.

The Master vampire sat in a simple stone chair that jutted out of the cave wall. Pillows were everywhere and on these pillows were many human females, half drained of blood, far too weak to move. The master had the last of the humans in his lap and was greedily feeding. To the side Chou caught sight of a very young girl struggling to pull a woman into the back chambers where the slaves were kept. The girl cried softly, feeding both Chou and the Master with her pain, fear and suffering. Chou would have done anything to rip the child's' throat and lap up her blood. But she didn't belong to him and he didn't dare touch the slave of the Master. He removed the foamy blood from his mouth and chin as he stepped up to the Master.

… . .

Shishio Makoto dropped the half dead girl to land half on the ground half on another girl. He didn't even bother to close the wounds but his slave Tsubame would take care of them. He leaned back in his chair and regarded the lesser vampire with a slightly curious raise of an eyebrow as he licked at the blood on his lips.

"What, in the Hell… happened to you?" he drawled, smirking as Chou fidgeted a bit under his gaze.

"I ran into the path of a former hunter." He looked rather embarrassed about the fact. Chou's demonic eyes danced about, unable to focus on any one thing for long.

"I can see that." Shishio raked the man up and down, noting the mess he was in and the massive wound in his chest that was slow in healing. "Was a close one wasn't it… who was it?"

"Himura."

"Pish," Shishio rubbed at his brow. "You're damn lucky Chou…very lucky. In fact… more lucky than you should have been." Chou was no match for Himura. The ex hunter could kill a vampire like Chou in his sleep. Shishio stood, kicking the limp girls from his path and stepped up to the lesser vampire. "You should be dead Chou…what happened?"

Chou swayed slightly, obviously needing blood. "I think I caught him at a wrong time. He had a human with him."

"Is that all? That shouldn't have hindered him. He's Battousai…one of the most feared vampire hunters on this side of the globe." Shishio thought about it more, glancing over at the tiny slave girl as she struggled to drag another woman away.

"I think there's more to it." Chou eyed the girl too, fangs peeking from his lips and he swayed.

Shishio felt Chou's hunger and sighed. "Alright, feed, but you kill her... I'll kill you." The man turned and stalked back to his chair. "Tsubame, go to him." He demanded. The girl dropped the woman she was helping and stood straight, her eyes glassy, and she slowly stepped to Chou. The vampire stood and waited perversely for his little prize. When she was close enough Chou grabbed her about the shoulders and lifted her off the ground and sank his fangs deep into her neck. He refrained from ripping at her throat, being she was not his to do so. He drank long and hard. Pulling the blood from her with such force that the girl whimpered, even under the mesmerizing spell she was under.

Chou was careful to lick the wound so it would close and he set the girl on the ground again, where she promptly fell on her bottom with a plop. Chou licked the blood from his lips, normally he wouldn't even bother, but it had been a clean feed, no need to look sloppy in front of the master. Even if Shishio had blood trailing from his chin to his neck.

"Now, tell me why you think there was more to it? Himura could have just wiped the humans' memory. "Shishio leaned forward.

"It was a woman…very sensitive." Chou felt better already, the hole in his chest started closing again.

"You mean…."

"Yes, not so very unusual… but this one shared a slight bond with Himura…Me thinks she's his lifemate."

Shishio was visibly surprised. "But she's not Carpathian?"

"No, she was human."

"A human becoming a lifemate?" Now that was interesting, very interesting. "I like to see how good 'ol Battousai will handle that. Hmm I believe we could use this against him." Shishio leaned back against the chair, his mind turning with thoughts and ideas. He despised Himura. The Carpathian had hunted and killed many vampires. He was always putting his nose where it didn't belong and had long been a thorn in Shishios' side. It seemed rather unfair that the Battousai found his lifemate in the form of a human. Had Shishio known it was possible, he would have searched the world for a human who could be his lifemate. But no, he was told no human female could ever be a lifemate, he was cursed to live without one till one was born, or he killed himself. But Shishio refused to give up life just because he didn't have a mate. He refused to be weak. He wanted to be a vampire so he could live life without the suffering of lacking a lifemate. Perhaps this human had something special about her, perhaps he could turn her himself and be able to have a sort of a mate to terrorize the city with, not to mention ruin the Battousai. Shishio would kill two birds with one stone. "How strong was their bond?"

"Weak, almost nil, I highly doubt he's even traded blood with her once." Chou jerked his head to the side. The resounding pop that echoed in the cave told that he had dislocated something, but the simple jerk had snapped it back into place. The vampire didn't feel pain; he was riding the high from the blood of the young girl. She must be a virgin to have such potent blood.

"How can this be? I would have believed Himura to snatch the woman and turn her instantly." Shishio thought for a moment before mumbling. "Perhaps it's different for human lifemates. Well that just makes it all the easer for us." The vampire grinned sinisterly, showing his yellowed fangs. Battousai was a fool to not take the girl under his wing instantly. Not even traded blood once? Did Himura go daft in these past years? "Get a hold of McKay. We'll have to act fast."

… . .

Kaoru woke that morning feeling like Hell. Her body felt heavy, as if she slept far too long. It was still early in the morning but the heat of the day pressed against her like a blanket. It was an awful feeling. Kaoru grumbled as she shuffled into the bathroom. She splashed herself with cold water to wake herself. Kaoru scrubbed the water and sleep away with a hand towel, thinking back to the night before. The Vampire, Carpathians and Kenshin. Being a lifemate, whatever the Hell that was suppose to mean.

Kaoru growled and glared at her reflection. _'Damn that man. Who does he think he is? What makes him think I'm just going to roll over and accept his words as truth?'_ She couldn't explain what she saw that night with Kenshin. That man…thing…he called Chou. The very memory of him made her shiver. The fangs... they both had fangs and she watched with her own eyes and Kenshin pulled the heart from Chou's chest... and the heart was rolling back and Chou was still fighting even without his heart. That was impossible. She refused to believe it.

"Good morning Yahiko." Kaoru muttered as she stepped into the kitchen and rummaged around the fridge for a piece of fruit. Yahiko sat at the table with a small bowl of ramen noodles, chopsticks halfway to his mouth.

"Boy Kaoru you look horrible today. And I don't mean the same ugly you always are, I mean really horrible. Did you get home super late again?" He stuffed the noodles in his mouth, chopsticks and all.

Kaoru rubbed at her temples as she sat at the table. A headache was quickly making itself known, the heat of the day was already getting to her, and it was still early morning. "Kinda." She admitted as she munched slowly on a peach, gazing at Yahiko as he shoveled the noodles in his mouth and best and as fast as he could. Giggles rose in her throat and Kaoru shook her head with a soft smile. Leave it to Yahiko to make her feel better. "I'll be fine Yahiko, I just need to get moving."

"Yeah, hurry and finish that." He said between slurps. "We need to catch up on practice."

…. . .

Kaoru stood in the shower and let the icy water wash the heat and sweat away. She worked Yahiko extra hard that morning. She believed she was taking her frustration out on the poor boy. But he didn't seem to mind the extra rigorous sparing. But still. Kaoru felt so bad, and so lonely, it was almost an ache in her belly. She had never felt so alone before. Sure she had felt so lonely after her parents had died, but this was something much deeper. It worried her, why was she suddenly thinking and feeling this way? She had gotten over such feelings long ago as a child. And with Yahiko around, she couldn't ask for more. He was a handful, but he was her family now.

The dark dangerous face of Kenshin Himura kept flashing before her eyes. She didn't know why she wanted to be with him, by all means, she hated him enough to make her spit. She didn't need that man… and more importantly she didn't want him. Growling, Kaoru stepped from the shower, dried and dressed in a white cotton blouse and an aqua blue knee high skirt. She had just finished brushing out her damp hair when she heard someone at the door.

"Yahiko can you get that!" She called out her bathroom door. She had a suddenly feeling of something unnerving.

"Hai!" he chirped back.

Kaoru heard him open the door and greet someone. Forcing herself to smile, Kaoru finished brushing her hair and tied it back with a matching aqua blue ribbon. She smoothed down her clothes and hurried out to the main room to great the visitor.

"Hello! What can I-…" Kaoru froze. Three men stood in the center of the room, one, a red head, had a struggling Yahiko by the throat. "Yahiko!" She turned to the men. "What are you doing? You let him go this minute." Kaoru suddenly felt like running away. But she wasn't going to leave Yahiko. She didn't know why she would even want to run away when someone was in danger. Kaoru lunged for the men, dropping to perform a sweeping kick. The man holding Yahiko fell, but instead of letting the boy go, he pulled him down with him. The other two men tackled Kaoru and hauled her to her feet and held her between them as the red head stood. He didn't look very happy, and yet he didn't seem all upset or surprised at her attack. It was almost as if he didn't care. "Who are you!" Kaoru spat as the struggled between the two men.

"Mckay." The red-head grunted. He had a turned up nose that reminded Kaoru of a pig and crazy looking pale blue eyes. "My master wishes to speak with you."

"Who!"

"Now hush." McKay pulled Yahiko off his feet by his throat, the boy flailed about for air. "You wouldn't want me to harm the boy?"

Kaoru tried to pull away from the men but they proved too strong for her. "No! Please… please, he's just a boy. Leave him here, I'll come with you, just leave him. Please" She begged.

"Can't do that M'dear. C'omon." He set Yahiko down and picked him up around the waist now, a hand still firmly wrapped around his throat. Kaoru struggled but the men lifted her till her feet left the ground and "walked" her out of the house. Kaoru thought she could scream the moment they left the front gates but much to her surprise, the men had a car, and they had opened the gates themselves and drove right into the yard.

They piled into the car. Kaoru was squished between the massive men in the back seat and McKay handed a now lethargic Yahiko off to the man to her right before he climbed into the driver's seat.

"Where are you taking us?" Kaoru demanded as she tried to pull Yahiko from the man.

"I said hush!" McKay called over his shoulder. He set the car into gear and plowed through the half open gates.

'_Kenshin!' _

…. . .

Kenshin swam on the edge of consciousness. He had put himself in the death like sleep of the Carpathians. Shutting down his heart and lungs so he could heal from the vampire attack. The wounds had started to fester as he returned home just before dawn. Kenshin cleaned them and went to the earth. The rich healing soil would nourish him and heal him by nightfall. Something had disturbed his sleeping, but he wasn't sure what it was. He had a sick twisting feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was Kaoru, she was distressed.

Kenshin quickly scanned the area around him. He felt Sano nearby, still asleep and well. But other than that, there was no one else in the house or on his grounds. He couldn't contact Kaoru, she was too far away and their bond was still so weak. It was early afternoon; there was no way he could do anything for a few more hours. The beast inside of him growled in anger. He wanted to burst free and go right to his lifemate's side. But he knew it was impossible.

'_Just hold on Kaoru.' _

…. . .

Kaoru sat on cold stone, her legs were pulled up and she wrapped her arms around her knees and rocked back and forth. The men had taken her to a cave somewhere far outside of the city. They were close to the ocean. Kaoru could hear the serf and the salty air stung her eyes. She refused to cry and show weakness. But she was alone and afraid. The men had taken Yahiko deeper into the cave and shackled her to the cave wall by her wrist. The shackle was covered in dried blood as was the chain. Fear was so heavy in the air she constantly felt like vomiting. There was evil here, something purely evil.

The hours ticked by, and the closer it got to sunset, the more ill she became. Dread smothered her till she felt she couldn't breathe. Finally, the cave darkened and to her surprise, a half a dozed half dressed women and girls darted about the place to switch on lights and fluff the multitude of pillows that littered the area around a stone chair.

Kaoru asked for help but they either ignored her, or flashed her looks of remorse and sympathy. That chilled Kaoru even more. Then, the girls vanished and something screamed at Kaoru to run away, her intuition was in overdrive. She edged as far back as the chain would allow her. A shadow of evil flowed into the cave and Kaoru whimpered as a tall, thin figure melted from that shadow. She felt like screaming. The man had bandages wrapped around his body, flashes of leathery skin showed between the wraps. His thin hair hung about his head in wisps.

"Ah, I didn't think McKay would deliver you so quickly. I must reward my good little slave." The creature said. His voice wrapped tightly around Kaoru and she had a feeling that it should have been comforting, but it wasn't, it chilled her. "Don't be afraid of me my dear." He stepped closer.

Kaoru was afraid, she was deathly afraid and the moment she realized that he wasn't going to be able to calm her with his hypnotizing words, she saw him for what he really was. Kaoru felt the earth around them tremble, finding the evil thing to be revolting. Kaoru watched in horror as the illusion faded away, showing her the true form of the creature. His eyes were liquid pools of blackness. His brown leather skin was really a sick green-gray shade of leather skin. The skin on his face was pulled so tight, that Kaoru could see his skull under the thin layer of skin. Fangs, blood stained and yellow poked from his bloody lips, and large talon like claws hung from his hands.

"Who are you? Where is Yahiko!" she demanding, tipping her chin up, refusing to show her fear to him…it…whatever it was.

"I'm called Shishio. The little boy is over there." He pointed back the way he came, never taking his awful eyes off of her. Kaoru looked around him and gasped. Yahiko stood placid by the stone chair. His eyes were unfocused and blank as he stood like a pet.

"What have you done to him?"

The creature's laugh sounded like gravel and felt like sandpaper on her skin. "He's under my spell; he's my little servant now." He tried to enter her mind and do the same but she shoved him away and closed her mind tightly. He raised an eyebrow at her and stepped up to lift her from the ground.

His touch felt like the slimy icy hands of rotting death. Kaoru felt her entire body heave, trying to rid it of the evil.

"I'm impressed that you can block me with ease." He sneered. "No matter, in time I will break you. You'll be mine."

"What the Hell are you talking about!" Kaoru snapped, trying to twist her arm free of the grip but his hold was like that of the shackle that held her to the wall. "You let Yahiko go, he's just a little boy, please don't hurt him."

"Tisk, Himura had to pick a wild one for his mate didn't he? He could have done better on the looks, but her spirit is to kill for." Shishio flashed Kaoru a grin, showing off his brown and yellowed teeth and fangs, pale gums receded far back, making his teeth look even longer.

"Y-you know Kenshin?" Kaoru whispered.

"Know him?... the bastard's been hunting me for the past decade. Rather annoying really."

'_Hunting? That must mean..'_ "You're a vampire?"

"Clever as well as spirited." Shishio said sarcastically. "And soon you will be too. To keep Himura off my back, I'll keep you from him; a Carpathian without his lifemate is hardly a man at all. You and I will rule this city with a power you could never have conceived of."

"Wait… you're going to make me like you?" Terror flooded Kaoru. "And Yahiko?" She choked out.

"Will be your first meal." The vampire said cruelly as he pulled the girl closer to him.

"No!" Kaoru would never forgive herself if she harmed Yahiko. She would rather die than harm him. Tears suddenly formed in her eyes. "No please.. I beg you…let Yahiko go...Please." She cursed the weakness she was showing.

The vampire eyed her. "You want me to release my hold on him?" his hunger jumped to the surface and his fangs grew till they almost reached halfway down to his chin. Kaoru nodded, her eyes wide and her fear feeding the sadistic pervert in him. "Very well then."

Kaoru almost sighed in relief but she caught herself. It seemed too easy. Yahiko stumbled slightly and gave such a scream of terror; it chilled Kaoru to her very soul.

"Kaoru!" Yahiko cried as he bolted after her wrapping his arms around her hips and he tried to yank her away from the monster. "Leave her alone you freak!" He snapped fearlessly.

"Yahiko, go get out of here." Kaoru demanded. "Please, just go."

"No! no I won't leave you!" the boy had tears in his eyes now.

"Fine then, you can watch." Shishio was bored with such displays. He pushed Yahiko away. The small boy went flying to hit the wall a few feet away, knocking the air from him.

"Yahiko!" Kaoru tried to turn to see if he was alright but the vampire yanked her to him and ripped into her throat. She forced herself not to cry out in pain. Kaoru didn't want to upset Yahiko, but it took all her strength to keep silent as the vampire ripped a gash in her neck and swallowed her blood as it pumped out of her.

… . .

Feeding from the human was nearly orgasmic. Shishio had never tastes something so rich, so pure. She was definitely a virgin and defiantly had something special about her. He feed with greed, keeping his dark eyes on the boy who looked ready to be ill as he struggled for breath. He knew the boy would stick around, too loyal and stupid to know that his life had been handed back to him. But Shishio didn't care, if he stuck around, he could be Kaoru's first meal.

He pulled away, knowing that he had already taken too much blood from the girl. She was limp and he had to hold her up. He licked at the gash in her neck with his long reptile like tongue to heal it enough to keep her from bleeding to death but it was still open and raw. The vampire bit his own wrist and pressed it to her mouth. The human struggled, turning her head weakly. But he didn't relent till his wound was over her mouth and his blood flowed into her. He held her there till she was forced to swallow his blood. He only fed her enough to keep her alive, but not enough to give her strength back.

He set the girl against the wall and made sure she was still well chained to the rock and closed his wound oh his wrist himself. He eyed the boy, who shrunk away at his gaze but refused to leave the cave. With a shrug he turned and left, heading to the slave room, where he would finish feeding and get some rest. He left the pair to fend for themselves.

……………………………………………………………………………….

A/n New character! Shishio, Master vampire. (Booo, hisss) Well Kaoru and Yahiko are in loads of trouble and Kenshin is gonna be pissed, That I guarantee. Now we will see how Kenshin reacts to his lifemate's kidnapping and we are introduced to the most powerful Carpathian. (It's not Hiko :P ) So please review! My last chapter didn't get as many reviews as the one before it but that's okay. Remember, I'm a review whore lol. Questions? Ideas. Theories, comments? Leave a review They are much loved


	6. Help comes

a/n Wow, look a update. Gah! Me so sorry it took me this long to post this chapter ( even though I already had it finished weeks ago.) I've been very busy with school and choir and life. All of this really just slipped my mind. (For those waiting for an update in Phantom of the Dojo, I haven't even started the new chapter yet, that's how busy I've been.) But I found a bit of free time and I'll be working on my writing as much as I can.

I feel bad for leaving you guys hanging on a cliff for so long. Me so sorry. To all my reviewers… I love your reviews. Lol I really do, your reactions makes me feel so good about my writing. I'm so glad everyone likes my style of writing. I know it's not for everyone. I tend to go overboard with details, and sometimes I can get very vague. Anyways, enough of me and on to the story you have been waiting so long for.

……………………………………………………………………………

Another quote I found, being that the last one was so popular. I searched the books for another good one :) Enjoy.

'_Hear me cara. I cannot make it home this night. Go to the chamber, and I will attempt to come to you tomorrow night.'_ He was trying to hide his pain from her, to cover the fact that he was dragging himself to shelter, trying to find a piece of ground he could safely open to crawl into.

'_Just stay put, Aidan. I'm coming for you._'

'_Do not! There is great danger to you. Stay in the house!'_

'_Give it up. I've never been very good at minding anyone. In case my little brother neglected to inform you, I've been the boss for years.' _

Alexandria (human) to Adian (Carpathian) – "Dark Gold" by Christine Feehan

……………………………………………………………………………………

Disclaimer: I do not own Kenshin, nor the work of Christine Feehan.

I give this chapter a PG-13 rating for violence and some disturbing description.

Where we last left off: Shishio set the girl against the wall and made sure she was still well chained to the rock and closed his wound oh his wrist himself. He eyed the boy, who shrunk away at his gaze but refused to leave the cave. With a shrug he turned and left, heading to the slave room, where he would finish feeding and get some rest. He left the pair to fend for themselves.

………………………………………………………………………………….

Chapter 6

The sun was setting and Kenshin exploded from the ground. Sanosuke followed right after, surprised that his friend was nearly snarling. Sanosuke often stayed with Kenshin to keep him from turning in his loneliness. He was almost acting as an anchor for the Carpathian.

"Kenshin?" Sanosuke kept his distance. He knew Kenshin was able to attack anything that moved when he was like this. Question was,… what put him in such a mood so early in the night?

"Kaoru is in trouble." Kenshin growled, bolting up the steps of his lair and into the first floor. Sanosuke close behind.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure." Kenshin snapped as he grabbed their custom made sunglasses and handed Sanosuke his pair. "At least,….I think I'm sure. Our bond isn't strong, but I have a gut feeling, my lifemate is in danger. I should never have let her out of my arms." He looked to make sure he had his sword.

"I hope you're wrong Buddy." Sanosuke slipped his glasses on and followed Kenshin as he hurried to the door.

"So do I Sano. Listen… Get Aoshi. He's been hunting after Chou. I have a feeling that vampire scum has something to do with this. Aoshi may know where they would take Kaoru."

"Alright Kenshin. Be careful and don't jump right into things!" Sanosuke called out as his friend dashed out of the house.

It was slightly overcast. That was the only reason Kenshin was able to be outside as early as he was. Still, the weak rays made his skin sting. The specially made sunglasses protected his eyes, the most vulnerable part of him. But there was always that unease, like there was a thousand needles ready to stab him in the eyes. Kenshin moved quickly, a blur of speed. Keeping to the forest that ran along side his home, no one would be able to see him if and when he decided it was time to change. But he couldn't take animal form just yet, there was still too much sunlight, and he couldn't risk his eyes.

The first logical place to look was Kaoru's dojo. Perhaps he had been wrong; perhaps she had only had a nightmare or some sort of scare. But deep down Kenshin knew that his Kaoru was in trouble.

'_Hold on Kaoru, I'm coming.' _

….. . . .

The tide was rising; Yahiko could hear the water getting closer. Already the slap of waves could be heard on the cave wall that Kaoru had been chained to. He was pretty sure that the water wouldn't reach the cave entrance, but that didn't stop him from being worried. Kaoru was sleeping, that or she was just so weak she couldn't do anything other than lay there. Yahiko moved so that Kaoru used his lap as a pillow and the boy gently petted the tangled dirty hair from her face. He refused to look at the horrible wound on her neck. Blood still seeped from the tear in her flesh, but he didn't care if he got blood on him.

'_That baka monster, I don't know who or what the hell that thing is, it's gonna pay for what he did to Kaoru, so help me..' _

"Yahiko?" Kaoru stirred. Her voice was just a hoarse whisper, but it was the best thing Yahiko ever heard.

"Kaoru! You're awake." So much relief flooded Yahiko that he thought he was going to cry. But he blinked the tears back, he wouldn't cry in front of Kaoru, not after she tried so hard to be brave in front of him.

"Yahiko what are you still doing here." she whispered, sitting up slowly. Yahiko helped her sit up and made sure she rested her back against the cave wall. She grabbed him by the shoulders. "Yahiko you have to leave."

The boy shook his head stubbornly. "I'm not going to leave you here with that thing."

"But you hare to go."

"No! you wouldn't leave me if it was me chained to that wall." Yahiko watched the truth in Kaoru's eyes. There would be no way that she would have left him and he wasn't going to leave her ether. "That monster told me things in my head. Said that you never did like having to take care of me, being a thief and all, and how you would be so happy to kill me once he turned you. I didn't believe a single word that idiot said." He said proudly.

"Good Yahiko. You're too smart for that thing. He's trying to turn us against each other or something. But we're stronger if we stick together." Kaoru winced slightly and Yahiko caught the sound of soft scratching. A moment later Kaoru gasped and jumped up and away from the cave wall. Yahiko was knocked back on his bottom and saw what it was that was creating the sound.

Crabs, dozens of tiny little crabs and sand ticks had crawled out from the sandy bottom of the cave, obviously to escape the rising waters on the other side. They were nipping at Kaoru and Yahiko. The boy jumped up and helped Kaoru knock the things off her legs and skirt. He then kicked at the sand to send the pests away, but it seemed that all he did was dig up even more.

"Yahiko you must go get help." Kaoru continued, he could hear the desperation in her voice.

"I can't leave you like this." Tears filled Yahiko's eyes again. "Damn it." he whispered. There was something about the freak in the cave that scared the life from Yahiko, he couldn't stop from being afraid, but he had to put on a brave face for Kaoru.

"No Yahiko." She grabbed him again. Her sapphire eyes, though slightly unfocused, blazed to life again. "Go find Kenshin. Kenshin Himura. He's a hunter, he hunts down things like that monster."

A hunter? "Where do I find him?" Yahiko felt the first hand of hope wrap around him.

"I don't know." Kaoru admitted. "But go back to the dojo, I have a feeling he'll be there. If he's not, call the police. Now go! It's already dark."

As if on cue, Yahiko felt the same cold, sickening fear wash over him. The freak was coming back. Kaoru must have felt it too.

"Go Yahiko." She turned him and shoved him to the cave entrance "Go now."

"You better be alive when I get back Ugly… or I'll never forgive you, ever." He watched a smile play on her face; her chapped lips cracked from the movement and started to bleed. Yahiko winced, turned away and ran for his life. _'I'll never forgive myself either.' _

…. . .

The empty dojo didn't sit well with Kenshin. There should have been that young man Yahiko here. Or anyone. But the fact that there was no life whatsoever unnerved the hell out of him. In the common room he caught the scent of three human men. He breathed deeply, nostrils flaring out to gather as much of the scent as he could. There was nothing very unusual about it… this was a dojo. But the men reeked of vampire. A vampire Kenshin knew of rather well.

A low growl escaped Kenshin, his hard amethyst eyes swirled with amber. Heaven help anyone who got between him and Kaoru. He knew he was being murderous. But anyone fool enough to harm_ his_ mate needed to die. Kenshin took a few deep breaths to help calm him. Now was not the time to lose himself.

Out the front door he spotted another clue, tire tracks in the mud of the yard. The front gates were left open and looked battered. Kenshin was already putting together what happened and he was not at all happy.

'_Well?'_ came a smooth, emotionless voice of Aoshi Shinomori.

If Kenshin had been walking the fine line between the life of a Carpathian, and the darkness of a vampire; Aoshi….he was teetering on the very edge of the knife. Many had suspicions that the powerful healer had already turned vampire. He was far older and far more powerful than even Prince Hiko. Many feared him enough to avoid him altogether. As of late, Aoshi had taken over hunting duties. Something that Prince Hiko knew was very dangerous. But Aoshi killed with ease now. He hardly seemed disturbed that his soul was being poisoned with every kill. Kenshin knew that Aoshi was holding on to his humanity because of the hope that his lifemate was out there somewhere. The one person who would bring him back from the rut he had fallen into.

'_Shishio.'_ Kenshin answered. '_Human men have been in her dojo reeking of Shishio.'_

'_Damn it.'_ Aoshi muttered, yet his voice didn't match the swear. It was dangerously calm, emotionless and flowed around Kenshin like black silk. _'I've been hunting that bastard longer than you have Kenshin. We must find her.'_ Aoshi sent a mental image of where he believed Shishio to be residing. It was a cave on the beach a few miles from the dojo. It was in a secluded area, surrounded by forest_. 'I'm closer, if Shishio is there. Leave him to me. You get your woman.' _

Aoshi was desperate to keep the lifemates of others alive and well for the same reason that Sanosuke did. Anyone of them could be the one to bear a girl child that would be his lifemate. The man was holding on to the hope of such a birth. Aoshi seemed to believe that a human woman could bear children much better than a Carpathian born woman. Kaoru was very important to all of them. Kenshin clenched his jaw; he could hardly stand the thought of his Kaoru being near an evil creature like Shishio.

He took off his glasses now that the sun was completely down and set them safely in his pocket. His body shifted, it wasn't painful, but it was always a strange feeling that made his stomach flip. The ground was suddenly closer to him as he fell to all fours. Kenshin knew he would travel faster in owl form, but he didn't have the time for a cloaking chant. No one would notice a wolf. They would only believe him to be a large dog. The auburn wolf bolted from between the gates of the dojo and headed straight to the forest. He weaved in and out of the streets and alleyways, ignoring the startled gasps of the people he past by.

… . .

Kaoru glared daggers at the vampire as he stalked back up to her. He snickered and Kaoru tried to ignore the way his laugh felt like the crabs crawling on her skin. Shishio grabbed the chain and used it to haul her back to her feet. She was a bit stronger now. Recovering surprisingly well from the bite. The half dressed slave girls had fed her. The food held no taste to her, but she ate it anyway, glad for the strength it gave her.

'_So I see the boy finally smartened up and fled.' _

Kaoru tried to push him out of her mind but she was so weak, she didn't have the strength, and there seemed to be something there, blocking her attempts.

'_We shared blood my dear, we have a bond now.'_ He reached with a leathery hand and petted her hair. The action was repulsive to Kaoru. Suddenly he grabbed a fistful of her hair and held her tightly_. 'I'll give the boy a head start before I send Chou after him. I can't allow him to call for help now can I?' _

"No! Leave him alone. I haven't given you any trouble." Kaoru was silenced with a jerk of her hair. The action twisted her head in a painful angle.

"I never gave my word that I would let him go free, only let him go of my hold on him. Besides, if I did give my word…well… you should never trust the word of a vampire."

"You're a horrible, nasty being." Kaoru spat in his face.

"Now, now, complements will get you nothing. I make it a point to never spoil my women." He pulled her close at that point; his free hand groped her bottom, pushing her hips against his.

Kaoru set her teeth and struggled, she wanted to vomit all over the creature. Her stomach already heaved from her touching the vile creature. She whimpered as he bent his head and trailed his icy lips down her neck to the wound he had caused before. With a hiss he bit down and reopened the wound with a shake of his head. Fangs shredded the flesh and again he feasted on her blood. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to ignore the pain and the sound of his slurping. Black spots started dancing in her vision and Kaoru suddenly felt detached from her body.

When she could see again, Kaoru found herself on the ground, a bleeding wrist pressed to her mouth. Shishio massaged her throat softy with his free hand until she swallowed mouthful after mouthful of the putrid blood. As much as she wanted to turn away, Kaoru had a need for his blood and she whimpered when he yanked his wrist away. Strength flowed into her, but it was just enough for her to stay awake.

"Bastard." she mumbled as she glared at him. He only laughed as if she made a joke.

…. . .

Yahiko had no clue where he was. He had been running for what seemed like forever, but that was because he was dead tired.

"Damn it, I can't stop now. I need to get help for Kaoru." He growled at himself as he paused to catch his breath, his hands resting on his knees and he panted for air. He rubbed the sweat from his eyes. This was stupid! He could be going in circles.

"You're not." Said a dark voice behind him.

Yahiko wheeled around. A tall man stepped from behind a tree. He had short dark hair and was wearing a cream color trench coat that reached the ground. Hard blue eyes caught Yahikos' gaze and nailed his feet to the ground. "Who the Hell are you?"

"I'm here to help. I'm trying to find Kaoru Kamiya." His voice was pure comfort to Yahiko and he felt himself fall into the feeling of security and relief. "Where is she?"

Yahiko suddenly saw the image of the cave flash before his eyes, followed by flashes of the inside, and how Kaoru was chained to the wall and finally the horrible image of the vampire. "Hey! What are you doing!" Yahiko snapped. The images scattered.

"I needed to know just what we are dealing with, and just who had her." The slim, tall man stepped closer. His voice held perfect reason to his actions.

Yahiko couldn't move, he was afraid, but strangely he felt safe.

"I'm sorry for diving into your mind that way. It was necessary. Don't worry, we'll get Kaoru back."

"We?"

Just then a large dog jumped out of the trees and skidded to a stop and turned to face Yahiko. It was then that Yahiko realized that it wasn't just a big dog, it was a wolf. A massive, redish-brown wolf.

"Yes, you stay here; we'll come back for you when we have Kaoru safe." The man said simply and vanished, the wolf followed close behind.

"Like Hell I am." Yahiko growled to himself. If anyone was going to be there to help Kaoru it was going to be him. Not some mind reading freak and a wolf. What if they take Kaoru just to use for themselves? There was no way he was going to let that happen.

… . .

Kaoru knew that something was going on when the "slaves" started running about and the vampire's anger flooded the cave like a wave of burning cold. Shishio stalked back into the main room, shoving a panicked girl away from him and into the wall. He yanked Kaoru to her feet again, pulling the chain free from the wall.

"Seems that boy got us into some trouble faster than we thought." Shishio snarled. Anger rolled off him, Kaoru could almost see the energy of it. "Sorry I can't stick around, But I'll come back for you my dear. There does seem to be something very special about you. I would stay and fight for you," He trailed a pointed nail down her cheek, cutting a thin line in her face, "But it's Aoshi coming for me, and I won't risk a fight with that one."

Then, in an instant, the vampire was gone.

Kaoru didn't take her time getting out of that cave. She bolted. Her lack of blood made her sway slightly but she didn't let that stop her from helping the young girl that Shishio had shoved. "Come on." She urged, half dragging the stunned girl out of the cave. They had only taken a few steps outside when she slammed into something hard.

'_Damn' _she though when she looked up and saw the horrifying eyes of Chou. The brown haired girl whimpered and Kaoru shoved the girl behind her. "Get away from us!" Kaoru shouted.

… . .

'_Chou is mine, you go ahead and go after Shishio'_ Kenshin said as he sprinted at the wolfs' full speed just behind Aoshi. He could already feel the evilness of Shishio fleeing. He was such a coward.

'_Hai, just take care of your woman.' _Aoshi responded. The man put on the speed and vanished ahead of the wolf. The area around them erupted with a thick, cold fog. Aoshis' way of cloaking an attack. Kenshin didn't have to worry; he was able to see perfectly well.

Kenshin sprinted as fast as he could and broke through the trees to see the chaos. Suddenly freed women slaves where running around, utterly terrified and lost in the darkness and fog. Shishio must have let go of his control over them when he fled. Kenshin hardly slowed as he turned his eyes to Kaoru in the cave entrance. The sight of her almost pulled the heart from his chest. Kaoru had a small girl child huddled behind her. She was trying in vain to protect her from the abomination in front of her.

Chou. The very sight made Kenshin literally see red.

Kaoru was pale, covered in sand and blood, her bare feet and legs looked raw from tiny bites taken from her flesh. Her hair was wild and hung about her shoulders and face, giving her the look of a hag. Kaoru's neck was ripped open and she oozed blood. The scent of it was thick in the air and was no doubt feeding Chou's confidence. There was a reek of vampire blood mixed in her spicy scent. She had taken vampire blood.

For a single moment Kenshin feared that she was turned into a vampiress. A crazed female vampire who fed on children and that she was not protecting the girl child but was in fact trying to keep her to herself to fed on and kill. Would he be able to kill her? His own lifemate. Instantly he knew that he would, he would have to, for her life would be one of murder and crazed suffering and he would never allow anyone to free her of her suffering. Only he would do so, and then he would meet the dawn.

Kenshin shoved the fear away. The terrified look on Kaoru's face was enough to show that she was deathly afraid of the lesser vampire in front of her. She was not one of them. She was still mostly human. Anger boiled in him, the beast within him roared, wanting free to shred the monster that caused her so much pain. But he held himself back. Aoshi was after Shishio, and Chou was unworthy to see his total fury.

Kenshin kept his pace even and with a single leap, he flew through the air and closed the distance to Chou.

….. . .

Kaoru refused to let Chou intimidate her. His head bobbed like a vulture's would as he watched her, waiting for the right moment to spring his attack. He was playing with her Kaoru realized. The small girl behind her whimpered and Kaoru tightened her hold on the poor thing.

Then it came from the fog like something from a horror movie. Glowing red-amber eyes, a long narrow muzzle and snapping rows of teeth. A wolf. The animal collided with Chou, knocking the creature off his feet and the pair rolled a few yards away and vanished in the soupy fog.

"What was that?" The girl screamed behind her and tried to run off, away from the screams and snarls. Kaoru held fast, refusing to let the child run out into unknown danger. She was too weak to do much to protect herself or the girl, but she was strong enough to keep her from foolishly running about.

"No! It's not safe out there." She held the girl to her now, falling to her knees and pressing her to her chest. The older slave girls had long ran away, and Kaoru didn't want to think what might happen to them out there in the darkness. Visions of women tumbling over a cliff edge in the blinding fog flashed before her. She prayed that it was just a fear and not another one of her premonitions. Kaoru looked out at the shadows in the fog. The auburn wolf had paused and Kaoru watched in amazement as the wolf form shifted and suddenly became a human form.

"Why don't you accept death? You know you will never win." Came a voice from the human form in the fog.

'_That's Kenshin's voice!_' Kaoru realized and instantly she felt a flood of relief. He had come for her. Just like she strangely knew he would. The vampire and Carpathian clashed together in battle. Chou screamed obscenities like a hysterical woman as he fought. Kenshin remand cool and calm as he side stepped Chou's every charge. Then, as Kenshin stepped away from Chou as he charged past, Kenshin reached out and grabbed the vampire by the head and wrenched in the other direction.

There was a sickening crack as Chou's neck broke. They were closer now, more visible in the fog. Kenshin's red hair stood out like a war banner. Kaoru pressed the childs' head to her chest to keep her from witnessing the horrific scene. The vampire shrieked in anger, his head flopped grotesquely to one side as he continued to charge Kenshin.

Kaoru tried to look away, but she was strangely entranced by the whole thing. She had eyes only for Kenshin. She watched him as he moved smoothly, as if he was nothing but the fog himself. He glided over the sand, almost as if his feet hardly touched the ground. Power trembled just under his skin, just waiting to be unleashed. He was a dangerous thing Kaoru realized. Just as strong, if not stronger, than his vampire counterparts.

The rasp of metal on metal brought her eyes to a glimmering sword in Kenshins' hand. Instantly she held the girl tightly as she watched Kenshin swivel on his feet and launch himself forward, taking a swipe at the air at the same time. He landed just beside Chou, his sword having gone clean through his neck. The vampire fell backwards and the head rolled towered Kaoru. Repulsed and horrified, Kaoru jumped to her feet and kept the girl at bay as the head came to a stop, just bumping into her foot slightly.

Kaoru felt her stomach heave at the sight and smell of the vampires' noxious blood as it poured onto the sand of the beach. She tore her eyes from it and they sought out Kenshin. He had his back to Kaoru, but he had moved to put himself between her and the vampire's body. He swiped his sword through the air again to rid it of the blood and he returned it to the sheath that rested at his side.

* * *

A/n Ooo Kenshin be mad. Hehe Well that's the end of Chou, but Shishio is still out there. And what's going to happen to Kaoru now that she has vampire blood in her? This isn't much of a cliff but there are many unanswered questions Mwhahaha!! Ahem… Hmm anyways, I don't have to tell you how much I love all your reviews. :) If I get a bunch of reviews, (like..oh I don't know..30ish) I'll update right away. (yes this is a bribe, I love hearing what other people think of my story :P ) If not, then it's the normal 2-3 weeks till I update again. I'm pretty sure my life will not be as busy as it has been for at least this month. And I'll be sure to update on time.

Anyways… reviews are loved. Till next time!


	7. Healer in action

A/n Wow I come back after a week of neglecting the computer and what do I see? 30 reviews! Woot! Now, like I promised, here is the next chapter, a whole week early no less. See what the power of reviews can do :) Anyways, I'm plowing along in the story. I have many chapters finished, but I read and re-read them over and over to make sure I get all typos and whatnot. (some still slip through though grrr.) I hope I got them all in this chapter.

**Reignashii****-** Shhh.. that's a secret, you won't find out till I tell his story. :p

**ToHeLlWiThThEnIcKs**** – **egads don't die now. You'll miss the rest of the story. I loved that review by the way. :)

**black-lotusblossom**** –** Sano and Aoshi don't have lifemates yet. But they will Mwhaha. That's another story that will continue on after this one. So I hope you stick around for those too. I always love your great reviews.

**blooded wyngs**** - **Me? A Aoshi fan? Well….hmm now that I think about it.. I always did find Aoshi rather hot. :) I always liked Kenshin best but Aoshi is close second. :P

Okay, enough of my chattering. And on to the story.

* * *

Here's another favorite quote of mine:

"Be still _enfante_, or you will end up bruising yourself. There is no way to fight me, and I cannot permit you to harm yourself."

"I hate you."

"You don't hate me Savannah. You fear me, but most of all, you fear what you are."

Gregori (Carpathian healer) to Savannah (Young Carpathian) – "Dark Magic" by Christine Feehan

* * *

I give this chapter a PG rating

* * *

Where we last left off - He had his back to Kaoru, but he had moved to put himself between her and the vampire's body. He swiped his sword through the air again to rid it of the blood and he returned it to the sheath that rested at his side

* * *

Chapter 7

The vampire was still deadly. True his head was severed but if left alone, it would return to its body and the cursed thing would heal and eventually return to its former self. Kenshin created ball of fire in his hands; the sparks flew everywhere and rained down from his hand as he dropped the fire onto the body. Kenshin stood back, emotionless as he watched the fire instantly take hold of the body and engulfed it in roaring flames. The stench of rotten burning flesh filled the night and he backed up even further.

The fire consumed everything, even the pool of blood went aflame like it was a pool of gasoline. A small flame followed the thin trail of blood that led to the head of Chou. It rested just at the bloodied feet of his lifemate. She saw the flame coming at her and she back up so quickly she tripped from her weakness and went down, dragging the girl with her. The flame reached the head and that too burst into sparkling flames.

Suddenly he was flooded with relief. Joy that he had taken care of the creature, taking perverse pleasure in the fact that he had rid him in such a way. Then, just as fast, the joy was replaced with sorrow. He had known Chou from childhood. He was Sanosuke's cousin. Only a few years younger than himself. Why had he not held strong? Why did the man chose to become vampire? Kenshin was no longer an emotionless killer; his lifemate anchored him to reality, to his emotions.

Kenshin felt the prick of tears in his eyes for the first time in centuries. He was so lucky to have Kaoru. So very lucky. No one had known just how close he was to the edge of taking his own life.

He heard Kaoru sob and he turned around to see her struggling to her feet, the girl child left to curl up in a fetal position. Once to her feet Kaoru tried to run but she was so weak she just fell. Kenshin rushed to her side and gathered her up in his arms.

"No! Let me go!" She cried, struggling to pull from his arms.

Kenshin could feel the fear in her, she was afraid of him. His small display of power had obviously terrified her. Having that head roll to her feet was sure to stay in her memories forever. He cursed to himself as he continued to gently hold her to him as she beat at his chest and arms. Her blows felt like the beat of butterflies wings. She was so weak and small. Her pain was his pain and he tried to take the pain from her, but their bond was weak, and she had shared blood with a vampire. That alone would prevent him from helping. Finally she collapsed in his arms and fell into tears.

… . .

Kaoru didn't want to give up, she wanted to go home. She needed to find Yahiko, not stay here in this nightmare of monsters and almost monsters. Things like this didn't happen. People didn't have fangs or turn into wolves or lose their heads.

"You still think of me as a monster Kaoru?" Kenshin cooed in an irritatingly calm voice.

"Leave me alone, and get out of my head. I need to find Yahiko!" Her strength returned somewhat and she picked up the struggle again, whatever good it did her. It felt like she was fighting against arms of iron. She didn't care; she just wanted to get away from his calming voice and his touch.

"We are one, my firecracker. I can't help but know what you are thinking." His voice was smooth and calm; she felt the fear melt out of her as he lowered his voice an octave. "Calm down, everything is going to be alright. Yahiko is fine."

'_No! It's some kind of spell, he's trying to control me.' _

"I can't lie to you Kaoru. You are not under a spell." Kenshin said patently.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!" Kaoru screamed, aiming her punches at his face. Kenshin just leaned back so she couldn't reach him and grabbed her arms. He gripped the shackle that held her to the cave wall and the metal shattered to bits, leaving behind her slightly bruised wrist.

"Is this how you intend to control your woman, Kenshin?"

Kaoru jerked her head in the direction of the second voice and was greeted by a man darker and more deadly than anything she had ever seen. His voice was gold, perfectly pitched and it sent her body shivering from the power. Dark blue eyes pierced her resistance and she fell limp again in Kenshins' arms.

"What did you do to me?...Bastard!" she spat as she lay almost helpless against Kenshin. The red-head glared at the newcomer.

"Aoshi, I have yet to explain much to her, nor have we made any bonds. It's hard to calm her or take her pain from her. And from now on it would be a smart thing to never do that to my woman ever again." He ended in a low growl of warning. Kaoru stared helplessly in fear as Kenshin clutched her possessively to his chest.

… ..

Aoshi blinked at Kenshin a few times as he continued to glare at him with his glowing golden eyes. Then, respectively, he backed up a step and away from the woman.

"I meant only to keep her from further harming herself. She is wounded and is in desperate need of blood. You didn't seem to have full control over her." He said simply and in a calm emotionless voice. "I couldn't find Shishio," he added.

"Excuse me! I'm right here!" the woman shrieked. "Stop talking to me like I'm a thing to be owned!"

Kenshin sighed. "Our women are very precious to us Kaoru. We must see to their every need. You were going to over exhaust yourself." Shishio had escaped them yet again. The creature was really starting to piss Kenshin off. How the Hell did the thing escape Aoshi?

"What I _need._.. is to get away from you!" She shot him a look of death. Kenshin couldn't help but smile at her stubbornness. His action seemed to only anger her more, so he swallowed his laughter.

"Aoshi here will heal you; he is the healer of our people. You will be well taken care of." Kenshin soothed as he turned back to Aoshi so the Healer could do his work. He felt her trying to struggle; he could hear her swearing at him in her mind.

"No! I'll go to the hospital! Where HUMANS will care for me!" She screamed again. Totally unwilling to accept everything that happened to her. Kenshin felt torn, he wanted to do what she wanted, but he knew she could never go to a human hospital ever again. She was so traumatized; it was no wonder she wanted to find something normal to grasp.

"HEY!" came a call from behind them and Kenshin felt a kick behind his knee that would have sent him to the ground if he was human, but he just staggered slightly and turned. The anger in his face melted when he saw the pissed off face of Yahiko.

"What are you doing to her you jerk!?" he turned his brown eyes to Aoshi. "You said you were going to help her!"

"Yahiko!" Kaoru tried to lift her arms to the boy but she was just too weak from the calming nature of Aoshi's gaze. Kenshin took pity on his lifemate and turned her so the boy to hug her himself. "Oh Yahiko I was so afraid, they were going to go after you."

"Don't worry Kaoru; I won't let those freaks around you anymore." He stated as he glared at the men over Kaoru's shoulder. "Lets go home."

"Not just yet Yahiko." Kenshin said, gently pulling the woman from the boys' grasp. Yahiko looked about ready to rip him to shreds. Kenshin couldn't help but smile, his heart warming at such protectiveness. He lowered his voice and set a hand on the boys' spiky hair. "Aoshi and I are going to heal her. You don't have to worry about her safety with me. We have been friends a very long time haven't we?" He paused and watched the still angry eyes of the boy. They were slightly vacant and he gave a slight nod.

"What are you doing to him…monster! You're just like that vampire!" Kaoru fell into hysterics. Kenshin shook his head but continued to talk to the boy.

"These men that did this to you and Kaoru will never return, you don't have to fear them again. I will be protecting you and Kaoru from now on."

"Swear it?" The boy clenched his fists together.

"I swear it with my very life." Kenshin smiled and ruffled his hair before turning back to Kaoru who looked livid and absolutely terrified. "The boy has been traumatized; you wouldn't want him to go through life fearing such an attack again would you?" He asked honestly. "I don't."

Kaoru grumbled and cursed but made no further retort. Just then Kenshin felt Sanosuke approach them. He clutched Kaoru back to him as he and Aoshi turned. Aoshi waved a hand and the fog he created rolled away to show Sanosuke with a handful of the slave women that Shishio released.

"You may have all the fun Kenshin but I have all the girls." Sanosuke joked softly as he walked up to them, his eyes going instantly to Kaoru and wincing at her condition. One look told Kenshin that the women were under Sanos' "spell" as Kaoru like to call it. They were calm, and completely trusting of the man that lead them back to the cave of their nightmares.

"Are you sure you found them all?" Aoshi asked as he picked up the child that was still curled on the ground. She had been put into a deep sleep by Aoshi when he exited the cave.

"Don't worry about it." Sano drawled in a lazy tone as he took the girl from the dark and powerful Carpathian.

… . .

'_wake up..wake up.. this can not be real.' _Kaoru chanted to herself. At first she was willing to think that Kenshin was some strange deranged person playing a sick game with her. But standing there, held tightly to him, with two more of the most powerful men she had ever felt…It seemed surreal. She felt Kenshin tighten his hold on her in comfort. She hated to admit it but she felt treasured the way he was holding her so.

'_You are treasured my dear.' _

'_You know, just when I was feeling on even ground with you, you have to pull something like that!' _She snarled.

'_What?' _He asked, completely confused.

'_Reading my thoughts!' _

"_I can't help that Kaoru, you and I are one. You can read mine too; just merge your mind with mine. ' _

'_Pish no thank you.' _

'_You will soon little firecracker," _He sounded so sure of himself, Kaoru wish she had enough strength to claw his eyes out. She sent him that mental image and he only chuckled softly. "I think, Aoshi, it's time for you to heal her so we can get away from this place."

"Yeah, I'll just go ahead and take these girls to the city where the police can find them." Sanosuke excused himself, leaving them to as much privacy as they would get. He nodded respectfully to Kaoru before turning. The women followed him dutifully.

Kaoru was suddenly nervous, of the men; she seemed to like the new one best. She didn't want to be left with to two serious sticks in the mud. And Yahiko was sitting in the sand like some zombie.

"His name is Sanosuke Sagara." Kenshin said softly as he gathered Kaoru in his arms like a child.

"Stop reading my mind damn you." She grumbled, not at all liking the fact that she was totally helpless and that she was enjoying the feeling of being carried by this man.

Aoshi raised an eyebrow at Kenshin. But both men kept silent. Apparently, Carpathian women were weak willed or something. They didn't seem to be use to a woman like her. Well, Kaoru knew he was going to have to get use to it. She wasn't going to change for no one, not even him.

"Now I need you to stay calm and very still." Aoshi stepped up to them and rested his hands on Kaoru. One on her shoulder and the other on her knee. She felt a slight fury rise up in Kenshin and she shifted her eyes from Aoshi to the red-headed man.

He was jealous of the other man touching her.

Kaoru would have laughed if she wasn't so afraid of what the dark one called Aoshi was going to do to her. For once she was glad to listen to these medieval crazed men. She stayed perfectly still and calm. Both men lowered their heads over her and Kenshin held her out between them and they started chanting in unison. She didn't know the language, and she had never heard it before. But she had a feeling it was as ancient as time. Kaoru suddenly didn't have to hold herself still, it was as if she was flooded with a heat unlike anything she had ever felt before. It was like hot soup for her cold, starving body. Then all she knew was darkness.

… . .

Kenshin knew the very moment his mate lost consciousness, but he didn't break the healing chant. Aoshi was doing all the work; his energy poured into Kaoru and mended her from the inside out. Kenshin could picture the hundreds of small wounds on her feet and legs slowly close up and heal as if it never happened. When he looked, it was indeed as if nothing had ever happened.

Kenshin felt Aoshi move his healing energy slowly up her legs, checking every little scratch or mark and healing it. He pause over her chest and spent a bit of time there. Kenshin kept the chant going right along with Aoshi, not daring to break his concentration. He could only guess that she had a broken rib. Then Aoshi was moving again and didn't stop till he reached the horrific oozing gash in her neck.

A tremendous amount of energy went into healing every little cell.

'_She must be perfect.' _Aoshi stated even as he continued to chant in their ancient tongue. Kenshin silently agreed and watched as the wound grew smaller and smaller. When it was gone, her smooth slender neck was just as unmarked as it had been. Finally, they stopped chanting and Aoshi lifted his head. The Healer was drained, lines etched his perfectly dark face and he was pale.

Kenshin instantly shifted Kaoru to one arm and slit his wrist with one sharp nail and offered it to Aoshi. Without a word the healer took the offered blood, latching his lips over the cut and drew in Kenshin's blood. It was the least he could do for healing Kaoru. Though he knew Aoshi would have helped her no matter what. After a moment he felt Aoshi draw his tongue over the cut, sealing it before he pulled away. Kenshin was hit with a sudden weariness. He had yet to feed that night, rushing right to Kaoru's aid. Now that the small battle was over and then this small transfusion, his body was crying out for blood.

"Thank you for helping Aoshi." Kenshin said in a deep slightly raspy voice.

Aoshi shook his head. "No need to thank me for something I would do even if you refused it." He face fell back into an emotionless mask, his voice dropping as well. "Take her home, keep her asleep. When she wakes up, she will be starving. She needs blood badly. You need it too."

"I'll feed her when she awakes. The bites on her neck showed that she was fed on twice. She has taken blood at least twice. I must give her mine to complete the change that she is underway." He gazed lovingly at her pale sleeping face.

"Are you sure the change will not harm her? We never changed a human female to Carpathian. She has taken vampire blood. What if she goes mad like female vampires?" Aoshi inquired.

Kenshin thought for a moment, his face became beautifully stone still. "Then I'll have no choice but to end her life, and my own." He finally answered truthfully.

"And the boy?" Aoshi looked down at Yahiko who gazed unknowingly out at the sea. "What will become of him?"

"I trust you or Sano to take care of the boy, to see that he finds a home with humans. Maybe foster parents." Kenshin offered, knowing now that his choice was going to affect everyone in Kaoru's life. A matter that left him feeling guilty.

Aoshi bowed solemnly. "Take care of yourself, so you will be able to care for her adequately." He warned before vanishing before Kenshin's very eyes.

* * *

A/n Yay! Kaoru is all better. Physically at least. But it sucked that Shishio got away. Me thinks we will be seeing him again in later chapters. But for now, Kaoru needs to share blood just one more time and then she turns. Lets cross our fingers and hope that Kaoru comes out of that a-okay.

Anyways, lets see.. how bout we go for another 30 review goal. That would be great! Being a review hog and all. And don't forget, any questions? Please ask. I answer all questions. (not always with a straight answer, but I do hehe)

Until next time, and as always, reviews are loved.


	8. New Home

A/n Wow it's been a while from my last update huh? We didn't reach the review goal. But oh well. It's now time for an update. :) I got a bunch of Questions last time, and I think I answered them all, if I missed yours, please forgive me. ANYWAYS I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving, (Those who celebrate it) only 24 more shopping days till Christmas. And 14 more days till school is over and I get a month off woot! I hope to be writing up a storm over the break because I registered in a fiction class again so most of my free time will be spent writing original fiction.

Anyways, enough of this and on to the story.

* * *

Disclaimer. I don't own Kenshin or the work of Christine Feehan

* * *

Another nice quote from the series.: " It's shocking to me that males of your acquaintance have forced females no older than a fledgling to bind with them. I am no child or fledgling, lifemate. I am a woman with as much power. I know who I am and what I want. I do not wish to be ordered about as if I have no common sense." Julian (Carpathian male) Being scolded by his equally powerful lifemate, Desari. – Dark Challenge by Christine Feehan

* * *

I give this chapter a PG-13 rating.

* * *

Kenshin arrived at his house the same moment Sanosuke did. Kenshin paid the cab driver well. He had convinced the driver that Kaoru was all right and he cast an illusion over her to keep her true appearance from the human. Her clothes were a mess, she was pale as death and covered in dried saltwater, giving her skin an ashy tone.

He had spent the drive chatting merrily with Yahiko, learning all he could about the boy and Kaoru. Yahiko was blissfully unaware of Kaoru's true condition. Shielded with another one of Kenshins' illusions to spare the boy. Yahiko chatted freely, as if Kenshin was an old friend who had been gone a very long time. Seemed Kaorus' parents had died when she was very young, leaving her the dojo. Kenshin assumed the dojo was important to Kaoru, and he made a mental note to make sure it was well cared for while she was with him. Yahiko told him how he use to be a pick-pocket for a gang and lived a miserable life on the street until Kaoru had liberated him and offered him her home and offered to teach him the skill of the Kamiya style of swordsmanship.

Kenshin also learned, to his amusement, that Kaoru was the most horrible cook that ever walked the Earth….so the boy said. And that his nickname for her…"Ugly." Was just that…a nickname. Yahiko confessed that he really didn't think Kaoru was ugly. But he made Kenshin swear not to repeat that to her. But the boys' mood quickly changed as they got out of the cab and walked up to Sano. Kenshin felt the boy shift into an ever aware mood, despite how tired he was. Yahiko didn't know Sano, so he was on edge.

"Looks like everything went well." Kenshin said as he stepped up to Sano, Kaoru still asleep in him arms and Yahiko trailing close behind, his large eyes scanning the new area around him.

"Sure did. I set those girls down where they were sure to be found by police. I stuck around a bit to make sure. And no, I didn't forget to take the memories of the vampires from them. They think they were all abducted by the same human man that I made up on the spot." Sanosuke pushed away from the brick wall he was leaning against and punched in the number code on the gate and it swung open. The trio silently walked across the large grassy lawn.

"Wow is this where you live Mr. Himura?" Yahiko gasped as he eyed the two story house. It was a mix of western and Japanese style. It was painted earthy colors that made it fade into the forest of trees that grew on the property.

"Hey kid," Sanosuke ruffled Yahikos' hair "What's your name?"

Yahiko glared up at him, "Don't call me kid." He demanded. Kenshin looked over at a bemused Sanosuke and smiled gently.

"This is Yahiko Myojin." Kenshin answered for the boy. "He's Kaorus' charge."

"Oh, well hello Yahiko," Sanosuke pointed his thumb at himself. "Call me Sano." Sano looked over at Kenshin. Suddenly the sulky, short tempered man had a lifemate AND a young boy to care for. The taller man grinned; he was sure going to stick around to see Kenshin handle this.

Once inside Kenshin turned to Yahiko. "Go with Sano, Yahiko. He'll show you to your room. We'll go and gather yours' and Kaoru's things later, so you don't have to worry about that."

"Are we staying here long?" Yahiko edged closer to him, not wanting to be far from Kaoru. "I don't think she'll like that much."

"That's because she doesn't know what's good for her." Kenshin replied, pitching his voice low, willing the boy to understand. "You called for me, remember? Kaoru fell ill and asked you to call me to come get you and her and bring her here where she can get well." Yahiko looked as though he didn't believe half of what he said, but after a moment he slowly nodded.

"Right, because we're the best of friends, aren't we Mr. Himura?"

"Right, and call me Kenshin, Yahiko." Kenshin smiled at the boy as warmth washed over him. The boy was trying to be brave and strong for his teacher, but deep down he loved her like a sister. Meaning Kenshin would love him like a brother. He suddenly had a rather large family. Stunned to feel tears returning to his eyes, he turned away and pressed his face into the mess that was Kaorus' hair. "Now off to bed with you, it's far past your bedtime." He grunted.

"Come on Yahiko." Sano said, smiling and taking the boy by the shoulder. He could read the emotion in Kenshin's voice and knew it was time to leave the man be. "Your room's on the second floor."

"Really! Cool!" The boy exclaimed, snapping out of the slight trance he was put under. "Goodnight Mr- I mean Kenshin." He flashed a grin before running after Sanosuke.

"Goodnight Yahiko." Kenshin called after him. _'Make sure he gets a good deep sleep Sano, and I would appreciate it if you watch over Kaoru, I'm going out to feed.'_

'_No problem Kenshin. Feed well, she's going to need a lot to replace what Shishio took from her.' _Sanosuke answered back.

Kenshin headed straight to his underground lair. It rested a good twenty feet underground and was connected to the house by a large tunnel. The tunnel lead to a massive wooden door that opened up to a bedroom, complete with bathroom. The room made with simple brick like stones, allowing for easy accesses to the healing earth underneath. A large four poster wooden bed sat against the far wall. The sight of it with Kaoru in his arms sent lust slamming into his gut like a punch.

Already his body was trembling with need as the beast in him lifted his head. He had to get away from Kaoru before he did something she would never forgive him for. But why should he hold back? She belonged to him, pleasure was his by right. But no, Carpathians didn't work that way. Kenshin shook his head violently and quickly set the girl on the bed and darted off in a blur of speed outside the house.

He trusted Kaoru would be safe in his home with Sano. Still, he hated to leave her.

Once in the air he let his anger take charge. Damn that Shishio, look at what he had done to his beautiful Kaoru. She was his lifemate, his woman; no one was allowed to touch her unless he agreed. But the evil incarnate had touched her, harmed her and feed from her and… the ultimate insult, feed her from him. So much hatred flowed through Kenshin; he was having trouble controlling his flight. He was in owl form. A large owl that was hidden from any humans below him.

He was starving, and extremely pissed, he would not feed gently tonight. He searched the ground for an appropriate donor. It didn't take long for him to find what he needed. A party of men leaving a bar. Kenshin landed in the alleyway and quickly returned to human form and sent a call to the humans. _'Come to me, come here.'_ He demanded. He despised such human men. Getting drunk, beating their women, and even their own children. Such people shouldn't be allowed to live. Kenshin set a hand on the hilt of his sword and took a few calming breaths.

It was the anger talking; he needed to calm down before he harmed anyone. Already the men turned the corner and walked over to him. Pushing and shoving as if wanting to be the first to reach him. He rather not drink the blood of anyone intoxicated, but the alcohol had no affect on him, it just tainted the taste of the blood.

He reached out and grabbed the first man and latched onto his neck. The other men gathered around, wanting to be next. Kenshin was assaulted by the reek of cigarette smoke, liquor and sweat. He was repulsed but primal need drove him to continue. Kenshin closed the wound and dropped the first man and reached for the second. He felt his strength and power returning to him as his cells soaked up the nourishment.

He wanted to take his time with Kaoru, now because of that damn vampire, things had been rushed. She met Aoshi and Sano, and was now sleeping in his lair, on his bed. And now he was going to have to feed her blood. Kenshin just knew that she would fight him every step of the way. With a growl he dropped the second man and reached for a third. He was going to have to be extra careful with Kaoru now. Her time with Shishio would no doubt traumatize her. And he would in no way remove the memory, as soon as she turned, she would recall it, and only be upset with him for doing such.

He dropped the third man on top of the other two and reached for the fourth and final man. His hunger was gone but this extra blood was for Kaoru. He quickly finished feeding, eager to get back to Kaoru's side. He set the last man down and made sure none of them had any memories of this. They would wake up believing they had fallen down drunk.

Kenshin shifted back to his owl form and took to the sky. It was not easy, being filled so with blood, but he made great time. Back in his home he scanned the area; he found nothing but small night time animals and Yahiko already asleep in his bed. He felt Sano pace the floor of his personal lair, and Kaoru was in a sleep so deep her heart hardly beat and she barely breathed. Kenshin stalked into the house and called Sano from the private room. As good a friend he was, Kenshin found himself to be extremely uncomfortable with the man so close to Kaoru. Sano appeared almost instantly, his face holding an emotionless look, one that Kenshin hadn't seen on him often before.

"Fed well?" Sanosuke asked simply, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Very. How did it go with Yahiko?"

"He was out before he reached the bed. I had to carry him and undress the poor thing."

Kenshin nodded. "A lot happened to him today, his young mind will have trouble wrapping around it."

"You don't want to take away the memory of it, Kenshin?" Sanosuke asked in a surprised tone.

"I do, but….I want to ask Kaoru first. She takes his care very seriously; she will see me taking over her charge as an insult and an invasion. I will get permission first before I remove any memories."

"But you'll add memories?" Sanosuke said, a grin spreading over his face. Kenshin blushed slightly; it was easy now that he was full of blood. "Anyways, I'm taking off to my own place."

Kenshin felt a tug of guilt, Sano obviously wanted to leave him alone for his first night with his mate. Things were bound to get rough if Kaoru tried to fight him. Sano respected the privacy he wanted.

"Alright Sano, if I need anything I'll let you know."

"You better." Sano said with a grin. "Good luck." And with that the man vanished in a wisp of black mist that dispersed. Take over

With a deep breath, Kenshin headed back down to his lair. Kaoru slept just as he had left her. The sight of her on his bed made him start to sweat. She needed blood; her hunger was a painful need to him. But first, he had to clean her up. Dirt and sea salt still clung to her body, not to mention the blood stained and ripped clothes she was wearing. With a pass of his hand, he used his power to command the dirt to lift and fall away. At the same time he molded new clothes out of the old. Now Kaoru lay clean and in a two piece nightgown and looked as beautiful as ever. He leaned over the bed till he hovered just a foot away from her, inhaling deeply, taking in her sent, committing it to memory, imprinting it deep in his mind.

'_Kaoru?' _He reached for her with his mind, urging her out of sleep. He pulled at his fuchsia gi, pulling it lose from his pants. Kenshin swallowed once and sat on the bed, setting a hand on the cool skin of her forehead. _'Kaoru, you need blood, you must wake up.'_ He said calmly. He watched her stir and blink her eyes.

"Am I going to a hospital?" she asked softly, still blinking her sleep heavy eyes.

"No." Kenshin kept his voice low and soothing as he purposely kept her head from completely clearing from sleep. "I'm going to take care of you." Kenshin slip a hand under her shoulders and lifted Kaoru into a sitting position and pulled his gi open with the other. He drew a line across his chest with a sharp fingernail and quickly pressed Kaoru's lips to the wound. _'Feed my love, take what I offer.'_

In her drowsy and weakened state, Kaoru didn't fight. She parted her lips and gently drew in the life giving blood.

Kenshin sucked in his breath as pleasure suddenly flooded his body. He had never felt such a sensation. Clenching his teeth, he set his hand firmly behind Kaoru's head, holding her in that sensual feeding position.

… . .

Kaoru felt a surge of power and energy flow into her body and into every nook and cranny of herself. Her fingertips tingled and she clenched them into fists over and over again. A warm sensation pooled low in her belly, it was a comfort and a pleasure she had never felt before. It was almost… embarrassingly erotic. As much as Kaoru wanted to know what was causing her these sensations, she couldn't seem to get rid of the fog in her muddled head.

Soon the tingling made its way down her legs and to her feet. Kaoru tried to push the fog away and it seemed to clear slightly. She felt herself in a half sitting up position and she was in the arms of someone. Suddenly, with renewed power and energy, Kaoru snapped her eyes open.

'_Oh God.'_ She thought. What was she doing? She tasted something warn and coppery in her mouth. It didn't taste bad; it held a spice to it that confused Kaoru. Then suddenly it clicked. She knew what was going on. Just like with Shishio, she knew that taste. It was blood, she was drinking blood. The warmth in her middle was a stomach full of blood.

She tried to be repulsed, tried to pull away and spit out the taste. But she couldn't, and it wasn't because of the iron grip of arms around her, her body didn't want to move away.

'_Don't fight it.'_ Came a calm and soothing voice, _'take it, you need blood.'_ It said with an all knowing tone. And as much as Kaoru wanted to fall within the spell of that voice, to continue to do what was obviously making her feel better, she just hated being told what to do, especially by a know-it-all sounding voice. She knew just who that voice belonged to.

Himura.

'_Please Kaoru, call me Kenshin' _

Damn that man, why didn't he do as she asked him? She wanted him out of her head. With more power than she thought she possessed, she pulled away from Kenshin and crawled to the other side of the bed. Blood quickly oozed from the wound on Kenshin's chest. The red-head licked his thumb and dragged it across the cut. The blood slowed and the cut sealed up, not evening leaving a mark.

Kaoru panted from the corner of the bed, where she now huddled. She watched him close the wound himself, not willing to believe her eyes. But after all she had been through; she was willing to believe in the Easter Bunny right about now. Kenshin heaved for air, sweat dripped from his body, cutting trails along his face and chest. He looked sinfully handsome.

Kaoru closed her eyes tightly. No, no, no, stop thinking that way. He's a monster, just like the other one. She clutched at her stomach as an almost unbearable heat started to grow within her. Kenshin climbed off the bed and backed away.

"I'm not a monster Kaoru, not the kind you believe me to be."

…. . .

He wanted her, he wanted her now. His voice was strained, his body tight and raging at him. The beast clawed its way to the surface. He had to go now before he took her then and there. Tremors of pleasure from her feeding off him still racked his body, sending him further over the edge of his control. Already he could feel the bonds between them reaching out to wrap them tighter to each other. Kenshin could almost picture the golden threads reaching out to them and pulling them together. His blood ran through her veins, the first steps of bonding were starting. Already he was being hit with her emotions far harder than ever before as it became easier for him to pick them up. That amount of intimacy was almost too much for him, and he knew it was only going to get worse from here on in.

"D-don't be afraid Kaoru." He grunted as his back hit the door. "I have to leave you, but I'll return soon. I swear it." He pointed to a door the left of the bed. "The bathroom is there." With that he turned and nearly tore the door off its hinges as he ran through it and back up to the house.

… . .

The instant Kenshin was out of her sight, Kaoru wanted him to come back. Why?...she didn't know. She just knew that she couldn't stand being so far away from him. The heat stopped growing, but had spread through out her whole body. She felt like she had a fever. Kaoru took the time now that she was alone to look around her surroundings. She seemed to be in a bedroom, but there were no windows so she was a bit disoriented. The décor was western old world with a touch of oriental flair. Where was she? And what was she wearing? Kaoru looked down at the cream lacy night shirt and flowing, gauzy night skirt that reached her calves. And she was clean, how did she get clean? Did Kenshin clean her?

'_Oh man I hope not.'_ already she was blushing at the thought of that man seeing her nude. Yes she was thankful that he saved her and Yahiko, but that didn't give him the right to oogle her while she was out of it. Where was Yahiko anyways. Suddenly she panicked when she couldn't remember what the two Carpathians had done with Yahiko.

"Oh God, where's Yahiko?!" She cried to herself as she tried to climb off the bed. But as soon as her feet touched the stone floor her legs gave out from under her and she fell to the ground. The heat started growing again, but this time there was pain along with it. _'Kenshin'_ She reached her mind out to him, she didn't know how, it was almost a instinctive action. She hated him, was so afraid of him and what he could do to her, but she wanted his comfort, needed it and her mind search for his.

_'Kaoru, I'm right here.'_ His voice brought almost instant relief. Almost. _'I'm checking up on Yahiko, He's here in the house sleeping. I'll be back in a moment. Don't worry. You're going though the changes, it won't be pleasant, but it will only last a few hours.'_

Kaoru whimpered slightly in return from her curled up position on the floor.

'_Trust me Kaoru, I'm coming, I'm not letting you go through this alone.' _

Kaoru trusted him. She didn't want to, but she did, she knew what he said was true. She knew he was telling the absolute truth. Kaoru tried to relax but her body was suddenly being flooded with sensations. She could feel every nook and cranny of the stone beneath her. She could smell four different kinds of fresh flowers in the room, and then suddenly she was assaulted by a wave of sound and smells. Pain shot from her head and cut through her body.

'_Kaoru?' _Kenshin's worried voice was like a soothing cool cloth on her fevered head. But the relief only lasted a moment. She felt rather than heard Kenshin rush from Yahiko's room and down the stairs in a blur of speed. A split moment later the door slammed open so hard it was nearly ripped off its hinges for the second time that night.

* * *

A/n uh-oh, here we go, Kaoru is starting her transformation. Things get a bit… interesting now. Don't worry though, okay... trust me :) Anyways, as always, if you have Questions, feel free to ask. Remember the 30 review goal. I update the second I get 30 reviews.

Thanks for reading, and remember, reviews are loved.


	9. Giving in

A/n Wow I got so many reviews so fast I didn't have time to proof read this next chapter. lol I was very surprised that the last chapter was such a cliffy for all of you. But I guess in a way it was. I got up early this morning and looked over this chapter one more time to make sure everything was right. (I hope I didn't miss any, I hate typos) There have been many questions about Kaoru and Shishio. Yes they did share blood and that will have an effect on Kaoru. But that won't be until a little later, just hold on to your horses, lol.

Gah! I was also surprised at how many threats I got from the last chapter. lol I thought I would keep those desperate reviewers pleased for my own good. ; )

* * *

Disclaimer, I don't own Kenshin or the work of Christen Feehan

* * *

New Quote, hope you like: " Darius sauntered slowly around the bus toward the small red-haired woman and his tall, elegant sister. Beside Desari's tall, slender beauty, the mechanic looked like a grimy child, yet he couldn't take his eyes from her. The stranger laughed, a soft husky blend in her throat that tightened his body to an aching heaviness. From the distance and angle where he stood, he could see her eyes, a brilliant green, large, heavily lashed with red-gold. Her face was a perfect oval, high cheekbones, and a wide, lush mouth just asking to be kissed." _Darius (Carpathian) upon first encountering his lifemate, Tempest (human) _– Dark Fire By Christine Feehan

* * *

I give this chapter a PG-13 rating for some mature content. Not a lot, but a fair warning. _Note: I'm not sure I remember if I said this at the start of the story, but this story will have some M ratings. So if mature content upsets you, you may not want to keep reading this story. Or at least skip over those chapters. _

* * *

The sound of the door banging against the stone wall was almost deafening to Kaoru as she lay there. She was afraid to look up. Kenshins' presence was like a weight pressing her down, there was no getting away from the power that she could feel rolling off him. Kaoru had felt this power before, but not to this degree. She was becoming more sensitive, she realized. All the powers she had were still there, only many times stronger. Kaoru wanted to go to him, find comfort in his arms, but she refused to let that happen. She was stronger than this, whatever it was that he had done to her. She wasn't going to give up. Yet it was hard to fight, it was like ropes were pulling her to him and it took all her strength to fight them.

Kenshin moved then. Kaoru watched his sandaled feet cross the room, keeping as close to the wall as he could. Unable to bear it anymore, she tipped her head up and looked at him.

The sight of him was almost painful. He looked dark…deadly…dangerous. He was a monster, a terrible creature of the night. Blood red hair shimmered, looking almost metallic against his skin. Eyes; they were not the soft purple she liked, nor the golden amber that she feared and admired. They were yellow, a heated yellow that gazed at her with such warmth and love and worry that it almost brought tears to her eyes. She inched forward on the floor, unable to fight the forces between them.

"Kenshin?" She whimpered softly. Kenshin stiffened and pressed back away from her. She could taste his fear, it made her stomach hurt. Kaoru couldn't help but find humor in the irony. The one moment she wanted Kenshin to touch her…was the one moment Kenshin didn't want to touch her.

"No Kaoru, Please." His voice was raspy from the emotion that he was trying to hide from her. But it was of no use. Kaoru picked up his every feeling. "I don't know if I can touch you, without losing myself." He confessed. His eyes roamed her body, making her blush slightly despite the pain she was in.

Kaoru understood, how could she not? She felt the very same, sitting there on the floor, her eyes glued to the spot on his chest where she had fed from him. Kenshin sucked in his breath and laughed nervously

"Stop sending me those images you little firecracker, you are not making this easy." He scolded gently with a smile, his body relaxing a little.

Mortified, Kaoru tried to look back on her actions. Did she really send him images, or was he just reading her mind again? "I'm not sending you anything." It wasn't a lie, she didn't know if she had.

"Well you were." Kenshin relaxed even more and walked over to the bed, snatched the blanket from it in a single snap of his wrist and let it settle over Kaoru. "I'm going to have to teach you how to control that. Wouldn't want Sano to see these things" he muttered that last part to himself with an almost scared look in his eyes. He didn't want to think about what would happen if Kaoru accidentally let Sano in on there most…private moments.

'_Cute' _Kaoru giggled, despite the pain it caused her. Kenshin held the look of a little boy who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Cute? Me?" Kenshin put on a stern look that made him look even deadlier than before, but all Kaoru could do was burst into more giggles. She didn't know how she found him frightening before. It was as if he had removed a mask, and nothing he did was ever going to make her forget the way he really was, even if he tried to put the terrible mask back on.

Kaorus' giggles soon turned to sobs of pain and she rested back on the floor.

"Kaoru?" Kenshins' worried voice soothed her slightly, but only slightly. But then his touch came. A light touch on her head. Kaoru snapped opened her eyes in time to see Kenshin settle himself on the floor next to her. He looked upset, but Kaoru couldn't figure out why. And it didn't help that his touch was so distracting. He petted her head softly, the only part of her that he was willing to risk touching. Kaoru felt very annoyed at that, and then surprised that she was annoyed.

The fever-like heat progressed until she though she would melt from it. Her stomach rolled and for a moment, Kaoru feared she would be sick. But it calmed and the fear left. "Kenshin, I need some water to settle my stomach." She sat up slightly and looked up at him.

Kenshins' face grew serious and he shook his head. "No Kaoru, you don't need it."

"What?!" Anger strengthen Kaoru enough to sit up and move away from him. What? Was he a doctor now? What gave him the right to tell her what she needed or not? "I don't think you have the right to tell me what I need." She wanted to bite her tongue as the words slipped out. She watched Kenshins' whole demeanor change back into the arrogant s.o.b. that she knew.

"I have every right." Kenshin said calmly, patiently. "You are my lifemate and I must see to your every need. I will not give you something that will just make this worse for you."

Fury rose in Kaoru. "Don't talk to me like I'm a child!" She screamed, even though the sound was punishment for her ears.

"Stop acting like one!" Kenshin shouted back.

….. .. .

This was nuts! Why was he sitting there screaming at his lifemate when he should be taking care of her? She was just so stubborn, pigheaded, and the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, it was messing with his good judgment.

"_ME _?! I'm not the one acting like a child Kenshin Himura!"

"Just face it, I know what's best for you!" _'Damn damn damn it!!' _

He watched partly in anger, partly in amusement and partly in fear as Kaoru got red in the face.

"Oh you do, do you?" Kaoru said in a calm, dangerously low tone of voice. She struggled to stand as she chucked her thoughts at him like weapons. _'If you're not going to get what I ask for, then I'll get it myself. I will not have you telling me what is best for me. You are not my parent or the boss of me'_

A growl rose before he could swallow it back. Kaoru froze instinctively and he set and hand on her shoulder and gently but forcefully pushed her back to the floor. "Fine." He snapped, "Fine! You stubborn female." And with that Kenshin leapt to his feet and stomped almost childishly into the bathroom, grabbed a paper cup and filled it with water and stomped back. "Here!" He shoved the cup at her and turned away. This went against _everything_ he was ever taught. Keep you lifemate safe…keep her happy…see to her needs. But Kaoru was not the lifemate he had planed. She was sure not acting like one, he wanted to keep her safe but he also wanted to keep her happy and it was so hard to deny her.

He paced the room, too angry to sit with her again. He wasn't mad at her, he was mad at himself. He was so worried about Kaoru. How will she take the change, will the vampire blood harm her… will she change at all or will she just go crazy or die? Fear and anger welled up in him and he hid it from Kaoru as much as he could. He didn't want her to feel it too. With a sigh he rested his hands on the stone wall of his room, wanting to bang his head against the rocks. He heard Kaoru whimper behind him and he closed his eyes.

'_Damn it' _

…. . .

The water settled her stomach a little, what food she had left in her stomach from the meal in the cave didn't sit too well though. And it seemed all was going to be okay, but as soon as her stomach pain went away she was slammed with a wave of nausea so strong it made her whole body almost numb and all she could do was whimper. She had just enough time and enough strength to roll on her hands and knees. As soon as she did so, the water and everything else came up. Surprisingly though, none of the blood she took from Kenshin came up with it.

Now, it was bad enough that she was in dept to this man for saving her and Yahiko from a monster, but now she was being sick all over his floor. Things could not possibly get any worse. But they did.

As soon as her body calmed down enough that she could breathe again, she felt herself being picked up and carried. In an instant Kaoru found herself in the bathroom. The cleanest, neatest, brightest bathroom she had ever seen. Only two words came to Kaoru at that moment.

White tile.

It was everywhere and it made the room so bright that she had to close her eyes against the sharp pain the light was causing. Kenshin vanished in a blur once again; Kaoru assumed it was to clean the mess she made. After almost a full half minute, Kenshin returned to his place behind her. She was vaguely aware that she was being cleaned up. All Kaoru wanted to do was curl up and die. This was not how things went. Kaoru knew she was stronger than this. She was not a child for gods' sakes! But at the moment she was so vulnerable, the weakest she ever remember being. And this man….this man caring for her. In his calm and gentle way. She trusted him in this time of weakness. She knew he would never harm her and do all in his power to protect her and see to her needs. As embarrassed as Kaoru was, she had a feeling she didn't have to be with Kenshin.

'_But damn his stupid arrogant persona.'_ She thought as a toothbrush was placed in her hand. _'Kenshin would be highly attractive if he could just get rid of that.'_

'_As you would be highly MORE attractive if you learned to listen' _Kenshin purred, his lips resting near her ear as she finished brushing her teeth.

Kaoru growled as she set the toothbrush down. She did too listen. She just hated being told what to do and how to think. She just felt too tired to argue the point, and it was hard to think anyways with him nuzzling at her neck. The action made her body buzz with anticipation. But why? She didn't know.

'_Your body wants me to taste you, to complete the bonds.' _His voice made her tremble inside, and not for being ill. Kenshin pressed against her back and grazed the back of her neck with his lips, pressing her body against the bathroom counter.

…. . .

What the Hell was he doing?! Kenshin was stronger than this. He couldn't leave Kaoru, but his body was screaming at him. The beast in him was pacing back and forth, just waiting under the surface.

'_Would….would it make the pain go away?' _She whimpered softly. The sound tore him in two.

'_Yes but, it will complete the change, there will be no going back.' _

'_You wouldn't let me go back even if you wanted. I don't want to have this pain forever.' _She sounded lost, broken; he hated hearing her that way.

"No, no. I won't let you be in pain forever." Kenshin spoke aloud, breaking the intimate contact. "I love you Kaoru Kamiya, I always will and I'll protect you forever."

"Pish." Kaoru scoffed. "You don't even know me. How can you say that?"

Kenshin couldn't help himself as he nuzzled at her neck again. "Because it's true."

Kaoru froze for a moment, taking in his simple words. She slowly tipped her head to the side, giving Kenshin more access to her slender white neck. Kenshin felt his fangs explode to full length at the very thought of tasting her and the sight of her neck. _'Don't tempt me Firecracker.'_

…. . .

Kaoru felt like running away. It was as if someone just let a wolf into the bathroom. Kenshin was dangerous, what was she thinking? But….she knew Kenshin wouldn't hurt her. He loved her. She didn't want to believe it, logically it seemed impossible. But after meeting Kenshin…anything seemed possible. And she was afraid to admit it to herself but deep down, hidden under her fear….she loved him too. She just didn't know it yet.

'_I'm not tempting,'_ she wasn't giving up and giving in. No, she was just, accepting the answer to her problem. Later she would be able to think, it was just hard with the constant throb of pain in her whole body. Kaoru cracked her eyes open and immediately spotted their reflection in the mirror. It was like something out of a wet dream, or a cover of a romance book. There she was, her clothes not matching her style, yet surprisingly looking wonderful, with a man behind her, gi hanging open, his chest exposed for all to see with his waist length blood red hair free from its tie to hang about his shoulders and down his back.

It took Kaoru a moment to realize that Kenshin was watching her watching them in the mirror. For a moment, their eyes met in their reflection he smiled a slow, gentle smile. Kaoru turned to face Kenshin and stepped back till her back rested against the sink. "Will it take the pain away?" She asked again, her eyes glued to his chin.

"Kaoru." Kenshin sighed. "Yes it will… and yes you really don't have a choice and no I wouldn't let you go back…ever."

"Well at least you're truthful." Kaoru said a bit exasperated. Kenshin only chuckled and ducked his head slightly to purr in her ear.

"Of course, I can't lie to you." He then ducked his head further, lips trailing a burning path down her neck. _'I don't know how I'll react to this; I apologize ahead of time if I upset you in anyway.' _

'_Understood.' _Kaoru swallowed, shutting her eyes, not really sure if she was smart for letting him do this. Would it hurt like Shishio's bite? She had a feeling it wouldn't; Kenshin said he would rather harm himself than her. And she trusted him. _'Okay, lets get this over with.' _Kenshin chuckled mentally and rested his hands on her hips and dragged her too him.

Much to her surprise, she felt a kiss on her lips. That familiar bolt of electricity went through both of them. This time, Kaoru let herself melt into his arms and let him kiss her. The chaste kiss swiftly turned into something more passionate. Kenshin tangled one hand in her raven black hair, griping it tightly near her scalp to hold her in place as his mouth devoured hers. Again, heat started to build within her, but this wasn't a fever of pain. Kenshin flashed images in her mind, places other than her mouth he would like to kiss. Tangled sheets and bodies slick with sweat, lusty sinful things that made Kaoru blush fiercely. Kenshin only chuckled, but never broke the kiss. Unable to get closer, Kaoru let both her hands dive into his mass of red hair, the action earned her a moan from Kenshin and it was her turn to chuckle.

Suddenly and without warning Kenshin broke the kiss leaned down and locked his hands just at her bottom and scooped her high against him. The movement was fast, not so much a blur, but still too fast for Kaoru to have any sort of reaction. Her feet were off the ground, her chin resting on the top of his head. In a flash Kenshin tore open the front of her night shirt and latched on to her just over her right breast. Kaoru cried out more in surprise than in pain. There was no pain, oh no, it was just the opposite. The most exquisite feeling jolted through Kaoru. The very force of it ripped a half smothered cry of pleasure from her.

She wasn't at all aware that Kenshin was caring her out of the bathroom, his lips still latched over his bite on her chest. But she did finally notice when Kenshin gently set her down on the cool sheets of the bed. It was sensation overload for her. The sheets feeling like liquid against her skin, the feel of Kenshin hovering inches over her as he kept his mouth on his bite. The heat rolled off of him and bathed Kaoru. The feel was extremely erotic.

… . .

Kenshin was lost; there was nothing he could do to hold back the Carpathian beast within him. Oh he was gentle in the exchange of blood. He was very careful in his feeding, letting Kaoru ride the waves of pleasure as well as himself. Her taste was more potent than wine, and just as sweet. He rested his body weight over her and he felt her fear spike even though she was feeling so good. She wasn't ready, and Kenshin wasn't going to push her.

When he was sure he had taken enough for a full bonding, he dragged his tongue slowly across the bite, sealing it and healing it. He pulled away, watching the last waves of pleasure trickle away and Kaoru finally went limp. Kenshin was panting, sweat dripped from him. He was exhausted. Fighting his urges and instincts was not easy. His mind and body buzzed with power. Already he could feel the bonds grow in strength; he could feel not only her emotion, but sensations as well. He knew that the cotton skirt of her nightgown felt far too rough against her overly sensitive skin. He knew that she could hear his heart hammering away. And he was slightly embarrassed that she could feel a certain male part of him pulsing against her hip. Instantly Kenshin jumped away and nearly stumbled. He didn't know what was going to happen next, so he knew he had no choice but to stay with Kaoru till it was over. But so help him God and Goddess he didn't know how long he could hold himself back.

… . .

If Kaoru thought the pain before was bad, it was nothing compared to the pain she was feeling now. After the slightly embarrassing but no less pleasurable sensation she got from Kenshin feeding off of her, She realized far too late that it wasn't worth it. She felt as if she was going to be ripped in half. Her body contorted violently and screams tore from her. Kenshin wanted to help but she refused. She was going to get through this on her own.

Kenshin wasn't happy. He had ditched his gi on the floor and paced the room bare chested. He swore up and down in languages Kaoru didn't even recognize. Finally, after one particularly nasty bout of pain, Kenshin stopped his pacing and stalked over to the bed and scooped Kaoru into his arms.

"N-no!. Let me be!" Kaoru would have struggled but her head felt as though it was about to split and she just didn't have the strength anymore.

"Stop it." Kenshin growled in a voice thick with accent and emotion. "I've tried to let you have your way. But I will not sit idly by while my lifemate suffers." His voice cracked, shocking Kaoru. Tears were actually welling in his eyes, red tears, but tears nonetheless. "You ask too much of me, it is not the way of my people." He finished as he clutched Kaoru to his chest.

Kaoru wasn't sure how Kenshin could help but after a few moments the massive pain started to fade away, and soon it was all but gone.

"But how?" She whispered to herself as she looked up at Kenshins' beautiful face. He looked back down at her and gave her a small smile.

"Rest now and don't worry about it. I'm taking the pain from you." Kenshin leaned back on the bed so that Kaoru could use his chest as a pillow. He would have sent her to sleep, but she fell right to sleep on her own as soon as she was comfortable.

Kenshin sweated blood as he took the pain for Kaoru. It was nothing he had ever experienced before. He couldn't believe that Kaoru had suffered through it as long as she did. And he was livid at himself for letting her do so. Kenshin closed his mind off to the pain, it was distant, and merely a bother to him now, but the effort sucked the energy from him. Dawn was close; he could feel the sun about to rise. Kaoru was safe down under the ground with him. They would sleep here till sunset, then, and only then would Kenshin know if Kaoru survived the changes of her body.

* * *

A/n Okay I lied, next chapter is the transformation. Don't hurt me! Lol I'm the writer, I'm allowed to make these changes. Besides, if you hurt me, how will I update, or finish the story for that matter. :) Anyways. Y'all know my review goal. I will update but not till AFTER finals. Next Monday is the kick off to finals week and there is a ton of stuff I need to get done before then. So review all ya like. If goal is met, I will update as soon as finals ends. (one week from today)

Thanks for reading and as always, reviews are loved.


	10. The Gift

A/n Hey ya'll. Finals went well. Sorry this chapter isn't very long. I didn't get to finish it, but I promised you I would update after finals and so here is what I do have done :) There isn't much here about Kaorus' transformation, Me sorry. I know I said there would be, but this chapter is only half done so the next chapter will be ready to update soon. I would also like to give a big huggle to all my new reviewers out there. I'm glad you liked my story enough to read it all the way through.

I hope everyone has a great holiday break. :)

* * *

I do not own Kenshin or the work of Christen Feehan

* * *

I give this chapter is rated PG for cursing.

* * *

Yet another Quote: " Everything seemed vivid. His hearing was far more acute even than normal. The dazzling raindrops in threads of glittering silver and gray. Falcon inhaled the night, taking in the scents, separating each until he found the one he was looking for. That slight misshapen figure was not a male, but a female. And that woman had already changed his life for all time." Falcon (Carpathian) reaction to his newly found lifemate, Sara.

* * *

Chapter 10

It took Yahiko only a second to realize that he was not in his room back in the Dojo. Brown eyes opened and scanned the area around him. Yep…..this was not his room. But strangely, he was not afraid. He knew he should be, but he wasn't. What happened? The boy sat up in his western style bed. His head and back hurt, but again, he didn't understand why.

"Oh man." Yahiko whispered to himself as he rubbed his head and looked around. The room was a bit larger than his own back at the dojo and had a nice sized window at one end that was currently covered by thick curtains. The twin sized bed was against the wall and a bedside table and lamp was next to the bed. The floor was wood with a dark blue rug in the center. Other than that, the room was rather empty, with only a small dresser on the other wall and two doors. One of them had to lead out of the room.

With stiff, slow movements Yahiko pulled away the tangle of sheets and covers and stepped out of bed. The first door he tried led to a bathroom, thankfully. He took care of business and washed the sleep from his face. Where was Kaoru? Where the heck was he? He was surprised by his reflection in the mirror. There was a nasty looking bruise on the left side of his face near his eye. "What the? Okay this is getting strange." He didn't remember getting hit. Perhaps that was why he couldn't remember much… he had the crap beat out of him. That made the boy cringe, he didn't like that thought.

Washed and now wide awake, the boy opened the other door to step out of the room, but he slammed into something hard instead. The force made him stumble back.

"Whoa there." Came a soothing soft voice. A hand caught the front of his shirt and kept him on his feet. "Careful now."

"Hey! Watch out" Yahiko glared up at whoever it was the ran into him and was more than a little shocked to see a red-headed man in a deep blue gi in front of him. His name instantly came to mind. "Kenshin?" The man had a very powerful ki, even Yahiko, who lack experience, could pick it up loud and clear.

"You remember." The man smiled. For some reason the sight made Yahiko smile back. His large purple eyes looked him over and paused over the mark on his head. Kenshins' gaze locked on the hurt and his eyes got hard and scary for a moment, but it past. The boy shivered a little

"Yeah I remember." Yahiko rubbed the back of his head, wincing when he found another bruise. "But I don't know why. I don't remember ever seeing you before really…and yet…" He dropped his gaze. He shouldn't trust this man. But there was nothing about him that set off any alarms. In fact, he felt a lot better now that he was there. "What time is it?"

"About 6:30 in the morning. You are up awfully early for a young man." Kenshin rested a hand on Yahikos' shoulder and lead him out of the room and down a hallway.

"I'm always up about this time. That way I can get as much training done as possible." Yahiko said proudly. He took his swordsmanship very seriously. Thinking about training reminded him of his teacher. "Where's Kaoru?" he finally asked as they started down some stairs.

Kenshin paused for a moment, unsure just what to say.

"Is she okay?" Was she hurt? Was there a big fight or something? Was that why he was all beat up? Was Kaoru all beat up because he couldn't protect her?

"Kaoru is safe," Kenshin said slowly, picking his words with care. "She's rather sick right now, so she's resting." It was a half truth yes, but the boy didn't need so much thrust upon him at once.

"Sick?" Yahiko questioned. It wasn't like the old Cow to let herself get sick. Being a nurse and everything. "What's the matter with her?"

"We…don't know yet. But you were worried so you called me to come bring her here where she can be more comfortable and cared for." Kenshin turned and stepped into a kitchen. He pointed to a stool at a breakfast table and the boy hopped on and grabbed an apple from the fruit basket in the center.

"I did?" Yahiko didn't remember that. He bit into the apple. Well, he had a feeling he should remember it. He knew Kenshin was a friend he and Kaoru had for a very long time. And that Kaoru was always taking care of everyone else and never herself. At least here Kenshin could care for her the way a sick person should be cared for.

"Don't you remember? You were very worried for her." Kenshin crossed his arms inside his gi and leaned against the kitchen counter.

To Yahiko, he looked like a rather average man. A little short, yes…but nothing major was up about him. And yet Yahiko knew better, he looked beyond the surface. Kenshin was tired. The lines drawn on his face showed that he was under stress. Had he been up with Kaoru all night? It took a moment for Yahiko to realize that he was staring at Kenshin and that he had yet to answer him. Yahiko turned away quickly and took another bite of his apple and spoke around his full mouth.

"Oh, well yeah I kinda remember. But that doesn't explain why I'm all beat up." He added, looking over at Kenshin from the corner of his eyes.

Kenshin was caught, he forgot all about healing Yahiko. The boy didn't even look hurt the night before, but the bruises developed over night it seemed. "Um.." Kenshin cleared his throat and his purple eyes darted about. He had faced some wild things before but the intense gaze Yahiko gave him made him feel…..uncomfortable. Was this how Kaoru felt under his gaze?

"I didn't lose a fight did I?" Yahiko grumbled, looking up at Kenshin with disappointed eyes.

Kenshin almost tackled the opportunity.

"Well, you didn't lose… but you didn't win either." Kenshin motioned Yahiko to follow him. "But Kaoru was very proud that you were able to hold your own as long as you did." He added quickly when Yahiko looked dejected.

"Awe man." Of all the things to forget, his first major fight. "I wish I could remember it all." Yahiko followed Kenshin closely.

"Don't worry Yahiko; I'm sure you did well. Kaoru is a good teacher." Kenshin paused in front of two double doors and turned to look down at the boy.

"Maybe. I haven't been practicing as much as I should be. Kaoru is a good teacher and all. But…." He trailed off looking at his feet. Yahiko knew something bad had happened. He just couldn't put his finger on it. "I should be training more, so I can be stronger."

Kenshin smiled and ruffled the boys' hair with a sweep of his hand. "Well, I think you might like this then." Kenshin reached behind him and opened the doors, letting them swing open. Yahiko looked around Kenshin to find a dojo.

"You have a dojo!?" Yahiko shouted and darted around Kenshin and into the dojo room. The walls were covered with racks of all sorts of weapons, real ones and ones for practice. The boy stood in the very center of the dojo and just turned a full circle trying to take in the sight. The early morning sunlight filtered in through the large windows, making the smooth bamboo floor almost glow. "It's the best looking dojo I've ever seen." Yahiko said in awe.

Kenshin chuckled as he stepped into the dojo. "Trust me; there are many out there that are far better than this."

"Bull!" Yahiko darted up to a rack of bokkens. "May I?" his hands almost itched to hold a practice sword again.

Kenshin lifted an eyebrow at the half expletive but he gave Yahiko a quick nod. "Hai, you may." He watch the boy nearly attack the rack, pick a bokken and fall into a classic fighting stance. "In fact Yahiko. You're welcome to practice here all you want."

Yahiko turned, catching Kenshin with his big brown eyes. "You mean it?"

"Yes, Yahiko. I mean it. I'm going to be gone for most of the day, so you'll be on your own for much of the time. I know how much you take pride in your swordsmanship. I want you to continue your practicing. And I know you'll stay out of trouble."

"Oh Man." Yahiko looked about the dojo. "Thank you so much Kenshin!"

Kenshin shrugged elegantly. "You're part of the family now. And I take very good care of what is mine…oro?" Suddenly Kenshin found the boy latched around his middle. Yahiko only hugged Kenshin for a moment, but Kenshin was able to slow the moment down. The boy looked so happy. Kenshin felt warm affection for the boy, almost paternal. Yahiko belonged to him now, and he was going to love and care for him as Kaoru did. They would be a family.

The world sped back up again and the boy jumped away quickly after the hug. "I don't know how. But I promise to repay you for what you're doing for Kaoru and I." Yahiko scrubbed at his eyes and Kenshin pretended he didn't see him rub away tears.

"It's alright Yahiko. I love Kaoru, and you. You're family now. You'll always be here; this all belongs to you now." Kenshin patted the boy on the head, turned and silently left to let the boy soak up the information. He quietly shut the door and headed back to the kitchen. Once there he paused and looked at the half eaten apple left on the counter.

A family….he suddenly had a family. Red tears filled his eyes. He felt so lucky, so unworthy of it all. What was so special about him that he was given such a gift?

What if Kaoru didn't survive the change? Kenshins' heart gave a sickening lurch. What would he tell Yahiko? Would he even get through her death himself? Losing one's lifemate could drive the other out of their mind. It was a risk Kenshin was willing to take. But that didn't stop him from being totally afraid.

No… no there was no way he was going to let Kaoru die. He just would not allow it.

… . .

Kenshin stirred slightly, waking from his deep daytime sleep. He didn't open his eyes; instead he scanned the area around him. First he checked on Kaoru who he was curled around in a spooning position. She was still deep asleep, her pain had stopped some time ago and it seemed her transformation was complete. She was still alive and seemed well. But it wouldn't be till she woke up when Kenshin would know for sure that she was okay. That would be hours away, well after the sun had set.

Next he scanned the rest of the house and found Yahiko. The boy was sitting in the kitchen watching the small TV set that was there as he ate a late lunch. Kenshin had been watching over the boy all day, moving in and out of sleep just to check up on him. The boy practiced for hours, then cleaned the dojo and was now eating. Yahiko was use to being alone and taking care of himself it seemed. Kenshin also planted memories of the house, where things where, what he was welcomed to and what he should keep away from. Kenshin had worried a bit about how the boy would react, but it seemed that all was well.

He also planted information about the panic room that Kenshin had in the basement in the center of the house. If the house was attacked, and for some reason Kenshin, Sano or Aoshi couldn't help, Yahiko could lock himself in the room. It was well stocked and he could stay there for well over a week if he had to. Kenshin highly doubted that he would. Vampires couldn't even go outside until the sun set. Weaker vampires couldn't even wake up till the sun set. But there were the human pets that they could send to do the daytime dirty work. Not to mention the Zombie like puppets that they can create as well.

But Kenshin had confidence in his power. He weaved many protection spells over the house before he even thought about sleeping. No one other than another Carpathian could unweave it to enter. Vampires won't be able to get near and human servants would find it hard to think straight once they got close. They would most likely have a sudden change of mind or heart and wander off in another direction. Any human not meaning any harm and with no taint of vampire on them would be able to approach the house without any of the affects.

Satisfied that everything was alright, Kenshin allowed himself to relax again. He snuggled up close to Kaoru and slowed his breathing down and sent himself to sleep.

… . .

Sanosuke hummed softly to himself out of habit as he walked down the street. Dusk was still two hours away but it was overcast and rather nice. Sanosuke kept to himself when he went on walks like this. Something that he did often. He wasn't sure why. It sure did tax his system to recover from the exposure to the late rays of the sun, but it wasn't anything that wouldn't be fixed as soon as he fed. No one paid him any attention really, other than the occasional look he got because of his spiky brown hair or the wicked character on his back. But humans usually steered clear of the sunglass wearing, young man.

He passed his usual haunts. Stopping at the Akabeko just long enough to catch Tanaka before she tackled him. Tanaka was the six year old daughter of the owner. She had raven black hair and forest green eyes and was madly in love with Sanosuke. She always greeted him if he came early enough.

Sanosuke flashed a soft smile as he scooped the girl up in his arms and carried her back to her mother. He was then stuck chatting with mom while she tried to pry the girl off Sanosukes' neck. Only after he promised he would return did Tanaka let Sanosuke go. He left the Akabeko with a grin on his face, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking over his shoulder in time to catch the girl dart outside one more time and wave goodbye at him.

With a sigh the Carpathian continued his walk. Sanosuke couldn't wait to have a family like that. Some days it felt as if it was never going to happen. But he always shook the feeling away. It would happen when it would. And if not…well he had trusted friends who would take care of him if he turned vampire or to help him embrace the dawn if he decided to do that. Of course if he embraced the dawn… it would have to be more like.. embrace the mid morning. Dawn sunlight was like sunlight near dusk… it was uncomfortable… but not dangerous.

But that was still many, many decades away. Sanosuke worried more for Aoshi than he did himself or even Kenshin. He helped Kenshin, kept him anchored. But Aoshi… that Carpathian was a loner, only stuck around long enough to make sure everything was well before vanishing to wherever it was he spent most of his time. No wonder others were uncomfortable around the Dark One, a nick name Aoshi had picked up quite a long time ago.

Sanosuke wasn't paying any attention to where he was going; he already knew just where his legs were taking him. To Kenshins'. Now that he had found his lifemate, there was hope. Hope for the future... for his future and that of their people. Sanosuke was itching to get over there and see how Kaoru did through the day. Sanosuke knew she had survived, if she hadn't, everyone who had a bond with Kenshin would have known. He knew he should give the new pair some privacy, but he was just too damn curious.

The sun was just an hour away from setting when he finally reached Kenshins' home. The house was secured tight with spells. Many more than usual, but it was understandable with not only the female, but the boy to care for as well. Sanosuke stood at the front door, took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He envisioned the spell like large chains wrapped around the house. He slowly undid the chains over the front door. When he was halfway done, he felt Kenshin wake and scan him.

'_Out early Sano?'_ his voice was muddled. Having woken from a deep sleep.

'_Just wanted to make sure everything was fine. Maybe keep the boy company.' _He finished removing the spells and waited.

'_I'm grateful Sano, Give me a while, and I'll be up soon.'_ Kenshin unlocked the front door and let it swing open.

'_Take all the time you need man. I know it's going to be hard for her this first night' _Sanosuke silently entered the house, shut the door and took the time to reweave the protection spells.

'_It was hard for her last night. Sano she was in so much pain. I didn't think it was going to be so painful. I tried to take most of it from her, but it was just so much.'_

Sanosuke blinked a bit as he removed his sunglasses. Kenshin sounded so tired, so stressed and worried. It wasn't the Kenshin he knew. Kenshin now had so much more responsibility. He had a lifemate now and now his whole life would revolve around the female. It was strange, but Sanosuke would get use to it_. 'Is there anything I can do for you Kenshin?'_ The Carpathian walked silently through the house, he knew the boy to be in the dojo but he did a quick scan of his own.

'_Keep an eye on the boy. Kaoru isn't going to be happy for a while. If something happens, I want you to put the boy to sleep so he won't be anymore traumatized than he is. I would rather he just sleep than having his memories erased.' _

'_No worries man, I'll take care of the boy. You have more than enough to worry about. '_ Kenshin silently sent his thanks and Sanosuke headed for the dojo. The double doors had been left wide open so he just leaned up against the door frame till he was noticed.

"Sano!" Yahiko darted over on socked feet and slid to a stop in front of him. "When did you get here?"

"Hey kid." Sanosuke reached down and ruffled his hair.

"M'not a kid." Yahiko set his jaw stubbornly and glared up at the male Carpathian, daring him to say otherwise. Sanosuke only smiled.

"Have you been practicing all day?" It sure did look like it. The boy looked tired, and by the way he was holding himself, Sanosuke suspected that he was a bit sore too.

"Yeah." The boy turned at walked over to a sword rack and put up the bokken he was using. "I got to get better so I can stop getting so beat up."

Sanosuke winced. He was beat up by a vampire, the boy was lucky to be alive at all. "Tell you what. You finished cleaning up the dojo, and go take a shower. I'll have dinner ready for you. Sound good?"

"Sounds great!" Yahiko exclaimed, jumping into action to hurry and clean the dojo.

"Good then, I'll be in the kitchen." The grinning Sanosuke left the boy to his work and headed to the kitchen. The grin faded a little. What the heck was he going to cook for the boy. Oh he's cooked before….but those times where few and far between. How hard could it be anyways?

* * *

a/n Sano is gonna burn the house down, eh? lol Anyways. Again sorry for the short chapter. I'll make it up to ya I swear. I gotta go now, lots of x-mas stuff to do for the next few days. Arg!

Happy holidays! Thanks for reading and reviews are loved!


	11. One of us

A/n Wow I hope everyone had a nice holiday break. I know I did. I wrote ahead a few chapters and have started proof reading them and such, so don't worry about that. School is starting next week but because I wrote so far ahead I'm sure I won't be falling behind .:knock on wood:. I'm not happy with this chapter, I don't know why, there's just something wrong with this chapter, but I've stopped trying to figure it out :) I hope you like it, short as it is.

* * *

Disclaimer, I don't own Kenshin or the work of Feehan

* * *

Raiting for this chapter is PG.

* * *

Chapter 11

Kenshin opened his eyes and reached out to pet the lock of midnight black hair of the woman next to him. Waking with this woman next to him was a feeling like no other. Never again would he sleep alone, never again would he awaken by himself. From now to all eternity, he would have Kaoru along side him. That is…if she made it though the night without losing her mind. With a sigh Kenshin climbed out of bed and reached for the bedside table. It was more like a bedside refrigerator with a silver tray and a lamp sitting on it. Many Carpathians kept well stocked in bagged blood; they always worked something out with the local blood banks. Having connections with a few humans that worked there was always a good thing. Many of those humans had family working for him that stretched many, many generations. They had a deep loyalty to him that was a priceless commodity. They were as close to family as Kenshin ever got. Feeding this way was more convenient than hunting every night. True it was cold and didn't taste nearly as good. But it was good for a quick fix and emergencies.

Kenshin kept his back to his lifemate as he bit into one bag and drained it in moments. He tossed the empty bag in the trash bin and reached for another. Kenshin wasn't sure what step he should take next. He knew he had to wake her eventually, but he was afraid. Afraid to find out if she still kept her sanity through this whole mess. The second empty bag went into the trash and Kenshin reached for a third. He wasn't hungry anymore, but Kaoru would be when she woke up. And it was up to Kenshin to feed her, from himself if necessary. It would be easier for Kaoru than feeding on humans or on cold blood. He didn't know how long it would take Kaoru to acclimate but he would feed her from himself forever if he had to. The idea wasn't at all unpleasant.

Kenshin tossed the third bag away and turned to look at Kaoru for the first time. His breath caught in his throat, his blood surged hotly in his veins. Her hip length hair had grown even thicker, if that were possible, and was so black it was blue under the weak candle light. Her skin was smooth and flawless and was so fair that the small dusting of tiny freckles on her cheeks stood out in contrast. Perfect lips parted slightly, showing Kenshin the tips of brilliant white teeth. Kaoru slept with one hand curled under her head and looked even more feminine than before. Her breathing came slow and shallow, barely a whisper of a sound in the dead silent room. Kenshin commanded the few electric lights in the room to turn on their dimmest setting while many more candles sputtered to life.

"Kaoru." He spoke aloud as he commanded her body to come out of the deep sleep he had put her in. Kenshin felt her conscious mind start up again and he quickly dove inside, looking for any sign that she wasn't sane. The woman stretched, keeping her eyes closed. Her body moved with a grace the likes of which Kenshin had never seen. Each little movement was sensual, shear beauty in itself. It was like watching a cat stretch after a nap. Kenshin had to take a step back, his mind hovering just inside hers, ready to send her back to sleep if anything was wrong. His body sang in frustration, wanting the lovely woman that was his by right.

She opened her eyes and they instantly locked onto his. Kenshin felt his own sanity slipping. Her sapphire eyes glittered in the candle light; literally sparkling deep blue. Thick eyelashes framed her eyes and delicate brows arched over them. She fluttered her eyes for a moment longer before her senses snapped into place, and she suddenly sat up with a gasp.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru whispered, clutching the sheet to her as she looked him up and down for a few long moments before speaking. "You look…..different…. what happened?" her voice wavered slightly but grew stronger with every word. Kenshin slowly retreated his mental hold on her mind. She seemed to be normal, stunned, but that was understandable.

"You've changed Kaoru." He said gently, tucking his red hair behind his ears before he took a seat at the edge of the bed and well away from the temptress in front of him. The sound of his name felt like a punch to his gut. He never thought his name sounded so beautiful. "You're only seeing things that you couldn't before." He watched her carefully as she processed the information.

"Am I….Carpathian?" Kaoru winced slightly; her face showed a moment of pain as her hands moved to cover her ears.

Alarmed, Kenshin dove into her mind to see what was the matter, but Kaoru felt him and she shoved him away. Hard. And locked her mind tightly. Not that Kenshin couldn't work his way through it, but he let her have her privacy.

"Answer me damn you and stay out of my head until you learn to ask." A low growl filled the silence after her words. Kenshins' eyebrows shot up in surprise, he literally had to swallow back a growl of his own, the beast wanting to answer his mate. Kaoru froze, "Did I just…growl?"

"Yes Kaoru," Kenshin held back any sign of amusement, stood, and walked over closer to her. He looked down at her, his face set sternly. "You are now Carpathian. You're one of us. Things will be hard for you these first few nights. But if you let me help you, they can go a lot smoother."

"Oh they will, will they?" Kaoru snapped. It seemed that becoming a Carpathian female didn't change her stubborn spirit. "Okay Mr. Macho… how do I shut off all the noise?" She covered her ears again.

"The noise?...Oro?!" Kenshins' face smoothed back into the kind look he most always wore around her and he spoke softly. "You're hearing is super sensitive, you need to learn to turn it down."

"Yeah, I figured that." Kaoru rolled her eyes before asking in a softer tone. "How do I do that?" Her face showed she was sorry for snapping at him, even if she didn't verbalize her apology, Kenshin knew she was sorry.

"Hmm, try picturing a volume knob in your head. Visualize it turning the sound down to a more bearable level." It was crude, but an effective way for Kaoru to learn to use her newly acquired powers. He sat on the bed again and watched her carefully as her eyes got a distant look in them as she pictured what he had told her. He wrapped his fingers around her writs, an iron bracelet that sent fire though both of them. After a moment Kaoru visibly relaxed. Her body was less tense and the straining look she had around her mouth and eyes vanished. "Better?"

"Much." Kaoru admitted looking down at her lap. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me, I'm here to see to your needs first and foremost." Kenshin watched with a passive face as annoyance returned to Kaoru.

"You keep telling me this, and yet you never do what I ask." Kaoru wanted to beat that look off his face. She hated that he kept so calm all the damn time. She would give anything to see the smug red-head lose control. What would it take to break his mask of cool indifference? Didn't he feel a passion for anything? Other than being lord over her life. She didn't even try to pull away from his grasp, knowing it was useless, he would let her go only when he was good and ready to.

Kenshin leaned forward, "What you want and what you need are two different things, Firecracker." He purred in her ear and leaned back in time to dodge a swipe from Kaoru. "What you need is discipline, woman." He added in a loud, confident tone as he caught her free wrist a hair before her hand had a chance to make contact with his face. His grip was strong, but gentle. Kaoru wasn't fooled; she had a feeling that Kenshin could crush her arm like a stick of candy. Kenshin kept his blank, only slightly amused look on his face as he turned her wrist to his lips. He set a kiss on the center of her wrist just over her pulse. The action made Kaoru weak. Kenshin let her go, clenching both hands to keep from grabbing her again..

"Wha-?" Kaoru got too huffy to answer that. Her half formed words where enough to make the red head bite back laughter. "I do huh? Gonna beat it into me." Kaoru crossed her arms and looked away. Looking at Kenshin was painful; he was too damn attractive to her now. Plus she was afraid he was going to try something again. Her body ached for his touch and her skin nearly itched to feel his skin against hers. She was unaccustomed to the bolts of electricity that were flowing to her most sensitive areas.

Kenshin cleared his throat, knowing just how Kaoru was feeling towards him. She wanted him, and that made his resolve weaken. "Actually," he said in a slow, deep voice; His purple eyes burning, "I would rather use other means to teach you discipline." His mental touch skimmed down her backbone and ended just at her round bottom.

Kaoru sat speechless. Her blue eyes wide and burning just as hotly as Kenshins' She bit at her lower lip. "I um…would like to go see Yahiko." Changing the subject would save Kaoru from having to answer that comment. But Kenshin wasn't going to let her get away that easily. He would let her buy her time. Let her mull the thought around in that stubborn head of hers. She would submit to him, but only when she was ready and willing.

"You will, you must feed first." Kenshin pulled at his blue gi but Kaoru jumped forward and caught his hand at the wrist.

"No thank you." The woman said firmly. She quickly let go, as if touching him burned her, and climbed out of bed. She paused, "Hey where are my clothes? I can't go out like this." She looked down at the nightgown. Yahiko would die from laughter if she showed up in the white lacy garment.

Kenshin ran a hand through his hair, resisting all urges to yank the hair from his head. "You need nourishment Kaoru." He sighed as he waved his hand. The nightgown shimmered softly and turned into a pair of hakama pants and a light blue gi that matched his and a matching blue ribbon that held her hair in a ponytail. Kenshin raised an eyebrow at her. "This is what you wanted to wear?"

Kaoru looked about ready to jump out of her skin; already goose bumps crawled their way across her body at an alarming speed. "Damn it! Kenshin, stop with that weird magical stuff. I don't like it." She grumbled softly under her breath as she inspected the new clothing. "How didja do that anyways?" As miffed as she was, she was still very curious about Kenshin and his kind...Well….their kind, now that she was one of them.

Kenshin fought giving her a smug look at her curiosity. "It's all energy Firecracker. Take something and turn it into something else." He watched the girl mull that information around. "I simply took what you were wearing and changed it into what you would rather wear." He added with a shrug.

"Good if you need to get dressed really fast huh?" She flashed a smile that dazzled Kenshin.

'_Or undressed.' _Kenshin whispered to her mind and watched with satisfaction as a wild color of red worked its' way up Kaorus' face.

"Yes well..." Kaoru stumbled for a response but she couldn't get the picture of Kenshin undressing out of her mind. She had a funny feeling that Kenshin was behind that. Planting those thoughts and images into her head. Kaoru dove for anything that would change the subject. "So can you turn coal into gold?"

"Alchemy?" Kenshin had never really thought about doing such. He never had any need for riches. All Carpathians were well off and had no need to hoard wealth. "Well I've never known of anyone trying it. I'm sure it could be done, but it would consume a massive amount of energy. It won't really be worth it." He reached out and ran the back of his hand down her arm. He just had to touch her, to prove to himself that she was real and that she was his.

"So changing things takes energy?" Kaoru stepped closer to Kenshin, wanting more of his touch. Her eyes lowered and focused at his throat. Kenshin felt her eyes on him and his body immediately responded. Kenshin licked his lips as almost every muscle in his body tightened.

"Hai. And only blood can replenish that lost energy." And speaking of blood, Kenshin could feel Kaorus' hunger like it was his own. His instinct was demanding that he feed her. "You need to feed Kaoru; you can't function without blood now."

Kaoru narrowed her glittering eyes. "I know, just…" she gave a weary sigh, expressive eyes hinting to sadness. "Just let me do this at my own pace. Okay?" All this was a lot to take in at one time. Kaoru couldn't say she didn't ask for it.

"I won't allow you to starve yourself." Kenshin reached for her mind and wasn't surprised to find resistance.

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Allow huh? You know, things would work a whole lot smoother if you learn to ask… nicely." Kenshin rolled his massive shoulders again in agitation and stalked to the door and opened it for her.

"The outcome will be the same if I ask you or not. You will feed, but I will let you buy your time. You will understand soon." He answered back in that ever calm voice of his that wrapped tightly around Kaoru. Kaoru set her jaw and refused to respond to that. She stomped right past him, ignoring the mental chuckling in her head.

… . .

"Kaoru!!!" Yahiko abandoned his dinner and bolted from the table when Kaoru stepped into the room. He grabbed her around the middle and hugged her so tightly that Kaoru fell off balance. Only a strong hand on her shoulder kept her from tumbling.

"Careful Yahiko." Kenshins' soft hypnotic voice wrapped around everyone in the kitchen. "Kaoru is still very weak from her illness, that she is. You need to be gentle with her for a while until she gets better."

"Oh, Sorry Kenshin." Yahiko let Kaoru go with a bit of a sheepish and embarrassed look. Kaoru only smiled and leaned down and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"Oh Yahiko, I'm so glad to see that you're alright. I was so afraid for you." She let the tears grow in her eyes and she held the slightly struggling boy to her, breathing in his little boy smell and catching the sound of his heart beat, his life blood rushing in his veins. Kenshin clamped another hand on her shoulder and pulled her from the boy.

"Gezz Kaoru, it was no big deal really, I just called Kenshin when you got sick." The boy mumbled, now very embarrassed at being hugged in front of Kenshin.

But Kaoru wasn't paying any attention. _'Oh my god, I can hear the blood in his body, I can smell it.' _She felt a strange pressure in her mouth against her tongue and realized with a gasp that it was a set of fangs. Kaoru almost panicked, but Kenshin tightened his hold on her and controlled her breathing, slowing it to a calm pace.

'_It's alright Kaoru, you're a fledgling, and you haven't learned to control them.' _

'_That's not the point! What if I hurt Yahiko?' _Her fear didn't override her hunger, it only heightened it. She felt Kenshin in her mind, calming her and showing her how to retract her fangs. By this point Yahiko, upon seeing that Kaoru was alright after all, ran back to his dinner.

Sanosuke rounded the corner, saw the couple, and instantly froze stone still so as to not seem threatening. Kenshin and Kaoru turned. The red-head wrapped one hand around the back of Kaoru's neck, showing his possession over Kaoru. Sanosuke respected it and kept his distance.

"Sanosuke right?" Kaoru struggled to remember the name Kenshin had told her the night before. It seemed like days ago. A quick glance around the room showed a flurry of activity had gone on. Many pots and pans of various sizes cluttered the sink and there was an overriding smell of burnt rice. Kaoru knew that smell well, unfortunately. The young man smiled and bowed his head.

"Please call me Sano, Kaoru. I'm glad to see that you made it through the night." _'The vampire blood didn't seem to have much affect on her, eh Kenshin?'_

'_Yes, things got a bit scary at some point, but everything seems to be fine.' _

'_You haven't bonded with her yet. I can feel it. Why not?' _

Kenshin stiffened slightly and the hand on Kaoru's neck dropped and he wrapped his arm around Kaorus' waist and pulled her to his side.

"Kenshin." Kaoru protested but the low, almost inaudible growl warned Kaoru to comply. She watched as Sano backed up another step, hands slightly away from his sides in a common non-threatening display. The air grew thick with tension. "Of for heavens sake." The testosterone was enough to choke anything in the room that was female. "If you two are finished with your little manly displays," She couldn't help the small giggle afterwards. This was all just so ridiculous. Sanosuke muffled laughter that threatened to bubble up. Kenshin instantly relaxed and the tension vanished.

"I'm surprised you were able to calm Kenshin like that, Missy. I thought I was a goner" Sano was amazed at the transformation the female had undergone. She made a beautiful Carpathian. Musical voice, large bright eyes and a curtain of thick dark hair. Sanosuke wished he could see colors, he was dying to know what color her eyes were and if her hair was deep chocolate brown or raven wing black.

'_Calm yourself Sanosuke.'_ Kenshin, though calm, kept his arm tightly around his mate. _'I will bond with her soon, right now she is adjusting.' _

"Kenshins' a big pussycat." Kaoru grinned up at Sano, diving for the chance to tease the man. "He caves under everything I say."

Sano threw his head back and laughed. Kenshin had not heard a laugh like that from Sano in over a hundred years. Kaorus' light, golden laughter joined in, the sound stirred Kenshin in ways he never thought possible.

"What's so funny?!" Yahiko piped up from the dinning room, attracted by the musical sound of Carpathian laughter.

"Kaorus' teasing me!" Kenshin called back. Kaoru's round bottom was too good an invitation for punishment and he slapped her hard.

"Kenshin!! Ow! What the heck? Did you just spank me?!" Kaoru backhanded Kenshin across one arm. She was about to chew him out but already he was rubbing the sting away with a soft pet across her bottom. Kaoru chocked on her retort as a blush flooded her pale face. Kenshin grinned at her, daring her to speak up. Kaoru wanted to slap the smile clear off his face. She clenched her hands into fists and excused herself before she did anything to further embarrass herself. "Excuse me." She said with a forced smile and clenched teeth. "I'm going to go sit with Yahiko." Turning, she shot Kenshin a look that dared him to stop her as she stomped out of the kitchen and into the dining room.

Kaoru fumed but she swallowed her anger back as she entered the large western style dinning room. Yahiko looked tiny in the large wooden chair he was sitting in. Something Kaoru was sure the boy would hate to know. At the moment, Yahiko had his mind on the small bowls of rice, noodles, and what looked to be fish that was sitting in front of him. His chopsticks moved at an incredible speed.

"Hey there Yahiko, how's dinner?" She pulled out a chair next to him and sat down. The smell of the food was almost overwhelming to Kaoru and it made her stomach clench. It was the most unappetizing thing she had ever seen. Was it because she was Carpathian? Would she be able to eat food again? Just the thought of eating made her feel a bit ill.

"It's okay. Not as good as yours though." The boy muttered between bites.

Kaoru blinked. "Come again?" not as good as hers? "Since when was my cooking better than anyone else's?"

Yahiko shot a mischievous grin her way. "Since that man Sanosuke tried to cook me dinner. I had to give him a few pointers even." The boy rolled his eyes. "You think he never cooked a meal before. I swear I think I could do better. Ya want some?"

Considering that Sanosuke was a born Carpathian, Kaoru wasn't at all surprised that he wasn't able to cook something that was easily edible. "No thank you Yahiko, I'm not very hungry yet." Flat out lie, she was starving so much it almost hurt. It seemed her whole body was sending her hunger pains. Yet the thought of eating food was so revolting it overwhelmed her feeling of hunger. All she could think about was the sound of Yahiko's heart beat and the almost distracting sound of blood flowing through his body. "How's your head Yahiko?"

The boy rubbed at the bumps on his head and pulled a painful looking face. "Okay I guess. I must've taken a really big knock on the head. I can't remember how I got it." He looked over at Kaoru. "So what happened?"

Kaoru frowned. "You don't remember?" How could he forget something like that vampire? It was then that Kaoru remembered Kenshin messing with his memories that night. That jerk, what right did he have to mess with Yahiko like that?

'_I only meant to spare him the trauma. I only suppressed his memories, not erase them. I would never do that without permission.' _

'_Stop eavesdropping on my thoughts! I hate it when you do that. And you better thank your lucky stars that you only suppressed his memories and not got rid of them all together.' _

'_I better thank my lucky stars?' _Came Kenshins' confused voice in her head.

'_Yes because if you had taken such measures with Yahiko you would have one pissed off girl on your hands.' _

'_You already sound mad.' _Kenshin pointed out calmly.

'_Shut up!_' Kaoru snapped back.

"Um… Kaoru?" Yahiko timidly asked.

"Huh?" Kaoru gave her head a shake and turned back to Yahiko. "Sorry Yahiko." She flashed him a big sheepish smile.

"Gezz, Ugly. I was talking to you for like a whole minute and you just sat there with that spaced off look you have. I thought you fell asleep with your eyes open or somethin' I thought you were about to start drooling."

"Yahiko!" Why that little brat. And here she was trying to keep his mind from being obliterated.

'_I don't obliterate minds Firecracker. Simply remove memories.'_ Kenshin stated matter-of-factly.

'_Kenshin! Do me a favor. Shut up! Besides, I bet you could obliterate minds if you wanted.' _

'_Naturally.' _

'_Kenshin!'_

'_Shutting up now.' _

"Kaoru are you sure you're the one who didn't get hit in the head?" Yahiko watched Kaoru from the corner of his eyes as he returned to his dinner.

Kaoru shook her head slightly. "I don't know Yahiko. I've been feeling pretty strange for awhile now." Understatement of the year.

"Yeah tell me about it."

Kaorus' eyes narrowed. "Hey! What's that suppose to mean?!"

Yahiko was nice enough to look a bit scared of Kaorus' flashing bright, almost glowing blue eyes. Thankfully though, Kenshin came to his rescue.

"Kaoru." Kenshin set a hand on the womans' shoulder, snapping her out of her thought of beating the boy with a sword. "I think it would be best to let Yahiko finish up his meal so he can get ready for bed."

Yahiko whole heartedly agreed and Kaoru grumbled under her breath about ungrateful males as she stood up and stalked out of the dinning room. She expected to see Sano in the kitchen, but was surprised to find the room empty. "Sanosuke?" she stepped further into the room. The massive mess of dishes in the sink was gone, leaving the kitchen immaculate.

"He went home Firecracker." Kenshin took Kaoru by the elbow and pulled her to him. "You need to feed." He said in his ever patient, ever calm tone of voice.

"Don't try and distract me Himura," She pointed a finger in his face even though his voice made her body cry out for him. "You had better give Yahiko his memories back…. And stop calling me Firecracker." She did her best to glare at him as he stood there, passive and accepting. But it was hard to stay angry with those big purple eyes gazing down at her so lovingly. Kenshin slowly pulled her out of the kitchen and Kaoru had no choice but to follow, reluctantly.

"I promised I would give his memories back, you have my word." He said in all seriousness. "Now come, your hunger is starting to distract me greatly."

Kaoru knew things were only going to get strange if she went back down to that underground room with him. Half afraid of having to face the fact that she needed blood to live, half afraid to be alone in a bedroom with Kenshin. Okay, she was more than half afraid of that, she was very afraid of that. She wanted to refuse. But Kenshin wrapped an arm around her waist and clamped her to him tightly. He must have heard her thoughts again. Kaoru set her jaw stubbornly but went with Kenshin as he led her back to his underground lair.

* * *

A/n Egads... something is gonna happen, I can feel it in my bones...jk I know what's gonna happen because I already wrote it LOL... Reviews are loved! Questions welcomed!


	12. The Ritual Words

a/n 'ello everyone. And welcome to all the new readers that I picked up :) I'm glad that everyone had a nice Christmas break and everything went well for the new year. I have a bit of an announcement. I got a job and I start this week. Now this does not mean I will stop writing. It just means that I'll be making booku bucks and most likely losing weight in the process :P lol Hm I must say that I was a bit disappointed in the amount of reviews that I got for the last chapter. it got the least amount of reviews than all my other chapters. But heck, I figure not all of my usual reviewers picked up the story after the break. Doesn't bother me….much :p

Anyways, enough chatter and on to the story!

Disclaimer, I don't own Kenshin or the work of Christine Feehan.

* * *

Raiting: M as in, mature, if M bothers you…you may want to skip over.

* * *

Quote I found ( being I forgot to add one on the last chapter…doh! This also happens to be one of my favorite moments in this series.): "You are tempting to trick me into something I will regret for the rest of my days, If we must wager, the prize will have to be something other than the sleeping chamber. If I lose, I will brush your hair at every rising for a month. If you lose, you will brush mine for the same length of time."

"What kind of dumb bet is that?" Francesca demanded, laughing. Gabriel (ancient Carpathian) and Francesca (Carpathian female)

* * *

Chapter 12

Kaoru had the sudden feeling she was a rabbit walking into the wolfs' den. Kenshins' arm around her was like a vice, there was no trying to get away. He refused to let up his hold until they were back in his room and the large door shut tightly. "Kenshin, is this really the only way?" She whispered as Kenshin shifted his grip to hold Kaoru in front of him. He waved his free hand in the air in front of the door in a strange, graceful pattern before slicing his hand though the air. Kaoru felt the power in the room shift to the door. A safeguard. Kaoru had to set a hand on his chest to keep her body from touching his. But it was almost as if she had to fight her own body, she wanted to lean against him and feel the comforting heat. She must be losing her mind.

"Well, it's the most pleasurable way." Kenshin said with a slow grin. The answer only earned him a fist in the stomach and a look of pure venom from Kaoru. Kenshin hardly had any reaction. "Trust me Kaoru, I know this is what's best for you. There are other ways of feeding, but I would rather you have warm blood than cold blood from donor bags. And I don't want to see you feed off of anyone else until you learn to control yourself." His tone was arrogant, his expression slightly smug. Kaoru looked up at the red-head and snorted. Feed from someone else? Could she even do that? Take blood from some poor unsuspecting person. The very idea made Kaoru shiver. The idea of cold blood didn't sound any better. She was at a loss, feed from Kenshin or starve. The stupid man didn't even give her any choice in the matter.

"I hate men." She declared matter-of-factly. Not that it really mattered, as soon as the words were out Kaoru could already tell how much Kenshin had to fight to keep from laughing at her. That only further aggravated Kaoru. She jumped slightly when Kenshin wrapped a warm hand around the nape of her neck. The heat from his touch was almost painful to her overly sensitive body. Not to mention it was very distracting.

"Oh, I don't doubt that you hate men." He teased shamelessly, purple eyes dancing with mirth. Kenshin leaned closer, his body commanding him to get as close to his lifemate as possible. "From now on, you won't be able to stand the touch of another male." He whispered as he dipped his head to place his lips over her pulse on her neck. Fire burned in her veins as his lips lingered on the pulsing spot.

Kaoru clenched her jaw to keep still as Kenshin moved his lips down her neck and along her collar bone. She was hardly aware that he had backed her against the stone wall and had her pinned against it with his body. Heat, power and lust rolled off of him, it smothered Kaoru, making her want to surrender to the feeling. But she fought it with as much will power she could muster up. But God it felt wonderful being pressed against him. Her body fit into his perfectly, as if they were two puzzle pieces. Kaoru whimpered slightly as her attention returned to Kenshins' ever searing hot touch as his hand moved from her neck to her back.

'_Take what I offer freely my love. Feed, there is no need for you to be hungry while in my care.' _Kenshins' voice touched Kaoru somewhere deep in her mind.

Feed? Take blood from Kenshin? …again? Memory of the first time she fed off Kenshin brought mixed feelings to her. It wasn't horrible, but after what she had to do with Shishio, it wasn't going to be a walk in the park either. But the thought of blood brought her hunger pangs right to the front of her mind. Kenshin felt her hunger; it was a pain that radiated from her whole body. He returned his hand to the back of her neck, turned his head to expose his neck and pulled her head down to him.

'_Feed my firecracker.' _He urged on, pushing her mentally to take nourishment, he placed a compulsion in her, a inner need forcing her to obey him.

Kaoru couldn't think of anything but ridding herself of the pain of hunger, not even the feeling of Kenshins' touches could take her mind off of it. Without a second thought, Kaoru found the pulse on Kenshins' neck and rested her lips on the spot. Instantly her fangs exploded back into her mouth. Kenshin tensed under her touch. Lips parted and Kaoru couldn't help but run her tongue over the thin skin that kept her from what she wanted.

Kenshin braced himself against the wall with his free hand. He had never felt so weak with need. The girl was torturing him. His legs trembled as she stroked his pulse with her tongue, once…twice... then a third time. Kenshin feared he would have to beg. To beg her to feed and end her pain and stop driving him crazy. But he didn't have to. Moments later Kenshin felt the sharp pleasure filled pain of Kaoru's fangs. She bit gently and fed gently, yet Kenshin felt his body tighten like a bowstring ready to snap. A half strangled moan escaped him as he felt his blood and power flow into his lifemate. He felt her body grow warmer, power fill her every cell. He felt the bond between them grow even stronger, pushing them together with invisible hands. Her hunger slowly died as she took nourishment. All too soon Kenshin felt the strain of blood loss; and yet he didn't want the feeling to stop.

… . .

'_Enough lifemate. Seal the bite.' _Kenshin sent her a mental picture of the correct way to seal the bite. Slowly, seductively. Kaoru dragged her tongue over the small wound and pulled away in time to watch the flesh close and heal back to smooth skin.

Kaoru felt a hundred times better. Strong and her mind seemed clear for the first time. Her body sang for Kenshin. It was such a strong feeling that she was almost ashamed of herself for having such feelings. But it was hard not to. Kenshin trembled against her, holding her in a tight but painfully tender embrace. Evidence of his arousal was pressed against her belly and further drove her to abandon all her resistance. His scent bathed her, he smelled of wet earth and leather, a purely masculine scent that was intoxicating. The chemistry between them was amazing. Kaoru half expected the air around them to crackle with it. The air was thick, and hard to breathe in. Kaoru clung to Kenshin as she struggled to regain herself after attaining what her body had been crying out for. Now her body cried out for something new. And Kaoru was all too aware that Kenshin felt her need.

It was just lust. Kaoru told herself. She hardly knew this man; she didn't even trust him all that much. Why would she feel such attraction to him? He was amazingly handsome, delicate but deadly. Darkness flowed around him as did his power. He was scary. Plain and simple. Could she abandon the fight just to get a chance to experience what Kenshin was whispering to her deep in her mind? Kaoru slipped her hand into Kenshins' gi and pulled it open, exposing pale smooth skin pulled over lean muscle and sinew. He watched her with eyes like liquid pools of burning amber. Was it just the thrill of adventure, of doing something the normal Kaoru would never do? Could she live with herself if she gave in? More important, could she stand Kenshin when he realized she gave into him? Was she just thinking too much?

… . .

Kenshin let her think. He didn't dare answer any of her questions. She was working on instinct alone; the call of lifemates was far too strong for her rational mind. But he knew Kaoru would fight it if he intruded in on her thoughts. She had to feel like she had a say in this. He held himself perfectly still as the female raked him with her heated eyes. His skin burned at every place her eyes landed. He rolled his shoulders slightly to send his gi off his body and onto the floor. He felt rather than saw Kaorus' reaction. Her body tensed and heat pooled low in her body. Kenshin growled softly as he lowered his head and claimed Kaoru with a mind numbing kiss. He dragged her body against his and lifted her off her feet and took a step forward to pin her roughly against the wall. He deepened the kiss, invading her mouth, demanding she give him what he wanted, giving her no choice but to comply. Kaoru wrapped her legs around Kenshins' hips to stable herself. The action sent fire zinging through both of them.

The blood in his veins pumped hard and fast, burning him from the inside out. Rational though was slipping away from him as the dark beast in him struggled to break free. Kenshin couldn't hold back forever, but he wasn't going to act until Kaoru surrendered herself to him. But damn, he wanted to explode, crawl away from the confines of his human-like body that burned with need. Kenshin didn't know how much more torture he could stand. Hands dove into Kaoru's hair, ripping the large blue ribbon from her silky raven hair. And he gripped the locks possessively and nuzzled them, taking in the scent of lavender along with the heady scent of his female wanting to mate.

… . .

Kaoru's head swam. She was overwhelmed and felt almost drunk. Her acute hearing picked up the sound of a heart beating franticly and she realized it was her own. It beat like a frightened animal that was running for its life. Then, a second stronger, louder heart beat reached her ears. Kenshins'. He matched her heart beat for beat and after a moment began to slow it down to a calmer pace. Their hearts beat in unison; it was loud in Kaorus' head, a drum beating in her ears. Desire slammed into her, urgent and hard. She found herself running her hands over Kenshins' bare skin and returning his kisses.

A moment of this and then suddenly Kaoru felt power wrap around her for a moment and then leave, taking her clothes with it. Kenshin had used his power to get rid of the fabric between them. Kaoru was shocked, but the feeling quickly left. Skin against skin, she was so sensitive that the extra stimulation was almost too much for her to bear. She feared she would faint. She arched back, bumping her head against the wall and pushing her hips against Kenshins', nearly begging for him to take her.

Kenshin laughed a low, irritatingly seductive laugh as he lifted Kaoru away from the wall and carried her the few steps to his bed_. 'Calm down lifemate._'

Kaoru wanted to feel anger, to smack him a few times; how dare he remain calm and collected though this, while she felt she was surly losing her mind. Kaoru wanted to be mad but the man started placing kisses on the valley between her breasts. The action deflated all resistance. It didn't stop her from trying. She pushed at the top of his head. "Get off of me, I hate that." She whimpered halfheartedly when Kenshin started dragging his fangs over the soft swell of one breast. Kenshin sat up on the bed and laughed. Kaoru struggled to keep her gaze above his hips, but it was a damn hard temptation. She allowed herself to glance at the shockingly red hair that peppered his skin low on his belly just below his navel. Her eyes wanted to go lower, but she jerked them back up to his sinfully handsome face.

"Little lair." He said simply, his amber eyes now burned a smoldering orange as he gazed down at her with such longing, that Kaoru was afraid to cover herself from him. "You're loving every minute of it." His voice had dropped to a low vibrating tone as his eyes feasted on every curve, every freckle, everything curl of hair, everything. "Yes?"

Kaoru felt tears in her eyes. He was looking at her with such tender love. Kaoru refused to believe he could love a stranger, but the truth was in his eyes. He would be dead without her. She was his and only his and there would be Hell for any man that dared touch her. Kaoru had never felt so loved, so wanted…needed.

"Yes?" Kenshin pressed as she remained silent. It was a loaded question, he was asking permission. His hand crept up her thighs, making her tremble like the last autumn leaf on a tree. Damn her eyes, there was no way Kaoru could refuse him. Not when he was looking at her like she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. "Answer me." He demanded with an almost cruel tone of voice. His hand rushed from her thigh to the junction of her legs. His touch was hard, harsh, demanding.

Kaoru caved. "Yes." She said with a frustrated sigh, her hips moving against his hand. Kenshin converged upon her, erasing the frustrated look that wrinkled her brow with a kiss. Kaoru nearly jumped from her burning skin at the feel of Kenshins' weight holding her against the bed. Kaoru was far too sensitive; she wanted to crawl out of her skin. His touch was still driving her mad, soon whimpers of pleasure escaped her; no matter how hard she tried to hold them back. Kenshin whimpered with her and Kaoru realized that her own hands were doing some exploring. Anywhere her touch landed brought Kenshin to a state closer to hers. Suddenly Kaoru felt the power of being female. She could weaken Kenshin with a single touch, empower him, drive him mad with desire, or bring him to tears. She trailed her fingertips down Kenshins' back, over his hips and up his chest.

Kaoru watch Kenshin gasping, his eyes closed, mouth slightly open and his fangs exposed. Yet Kenshin never let up on his own torturing touch. Kaoru squirmed as pressure built up within her, her body begged for release. When her teasing hands slowly moved past his navel, a growl sounded from deep inside Kenshins' chest. She was pushing his resolve Kaoru realized, suddenly drunk from power. Her touch just reached the hard length of him when pleasure exploded within her. No sooner did her cries die down did Kenshin converge on her. His body held her to the bed and Kaoru gladded accepted the feel of his weight upon her.

Pain came and went just as fast as Kenshin blocked it from her. Kaoru wrapped her hands tightly around Kenshins' crimson hair holding him to her as the Carpathian male lost all control of himself as the monstrous beast within took over. Kenshin caught her shoulder in a bite, fangs digging deep, and he held her in place. There was no pain for Kaoru. Only waves of pleasure and strange enough, power. Her whole body felt like it was shimmering with power.

Instinct drove Kaoru to bite back…and bite she did. Her fangs dove deep into the curve where Kenshins' neck met his shoulder. Kenshin grunted in surprise, but didn't let free his hold of her. They exchanged blood, feeding off each other, bringing even more pleasure to one another. Kaorus' climax hit without warning, the girl had just sealed her bit when she was racked with intense pleasure. Kenshin quickly sealed his bite as he felt himself fall over the edge, dragged there by his lifemate. A cry was ripped from his throat, pleasure made his body tense till Kaoru thought he was going to snap. But just as fast as it came, it went, and Kenshin collapsed, using his full weight to keep Kaoru under him. Emotion flooded the pair, bringing tears to their eyes. Kaoru, suddenly understanding the love that Kenshin felt for her was real, and as old as time. She was in his mind, seeing his memories, his feelings. Kenshin, grateful that he was given such a beautiful, loving gift, unwilling to believe that she was all his, that she belonged to him and only him.

… . .

Kenshin propped himself up on one elbow and gazed down at his drowsy lifemate. Kenshin smiled to himself as he traced his fingertips across her bare belly. Kenshin had never felt so whole, so complete. His body still hummed from the love making hours before. He wanted nothing more than to wake her and claim her again, but he let her rest. They had all eternity for such pleasure. And what pleasure it was too. Kenshin could still fell the bite Kaoru had given him when she had clamped her teeth into his flesh during climax. The very memory almost had Kenshin waking his lifemate. He felt unworthy of this gift. Why should he have a lifemate when there were so many others out there that were in desperate need of one? Kenshin was a hunter, a killer. He had never really done much good in the world. Why was he given such a gift? It made Kaoru that much more precious to him.

The mating cycle was almost complete. Kenshin trailed his fingers over the slightly raised mark that he left on Kaorus' chest, just over her breast. A mark that would stay there for the rest of her life, that would show that she was his. There was one last thing to do that would bond their souls together for all eternity. The words. The ancient words that were imprinted into every male Carpathian at birth. Kenshins' purple eyes locked onto Kaorus' angel like face. The ritual words were already bubbling up, ripping free of his very soul before he could wake the girl.

"I claim you as my lifemate." He started. Instantly power built up thick around them. Kaoru felt the growing energy and she jerked wide awake. Kenshin went one before she could say anything. "I belong to you. I offer my life for you." Threads of power weaved around them, pulling tight, pulling their two tattered souls together. Kaoru gasped in fear.

"Kenshin? What are you doing?" But Kenshin ignored her question, unable to stop now that he had started. He wouldn't have stopped even if he could have.

"I give to you my protection, my allegiance, my heart, my soul, and my body."

"Stop!" Kaoru shrieked, not understanding what was going on. The threads pulled tighter. The two torn souls touched and the power quickly mended them. Kenshin went on, the words filling the silence of the room, tears forming in his eyes.

"I take into my keeping the same that is yours. Your life, happiness, and welfare will be cherished and placed above my own for all time. You are my lifemate, bound to me for eternity and always in my care." It was done. The bond was completed. Kenshin and Kaoru were of one soul. Never could one live without the other. Never could they be separated and remain comfortable. Always in each others minds.

Kaoru looked rather stunned. Kenshin braced himself for her temper. "What did you do?" She asked in a dangerous whisper. Her big blue eyes bore holes into Kenshin as she gathered the sheet around her to hide her nakedness from him. Kenshin cleared his throat but his voice still came out raspy.

"I bonded us together. A marriage of our souls." Kenshin watched with an emotionless mask on his face as Kaoru rolled off the bed, taking the sheet with her. Her eyes took on the look of panic, like a cornered animal. Kenshin fought hard to keep himself on the bed. Kaoru needed space.

"What does that mean?" Kaoru pulled the sheet around her in a toga style as she back up to the door leading from the lair. A soft crackling sound warned Kaoru that the safeguards were still in place over the door. And Kaoru had no idea what would happen to her if she tried to open it.

"It means that no man shall take you from me. No one can touch you without my knowledge of it, and visa versa. We can not be separated for extended periods of time. If we are, we become distressed, depressed and physically uncomfortable." Kenshin watched Kaoru take in his words and saw the panic only grow. "And…I can't live without you…you can not live without me. We share the same soul. We are one soul." There, that was the truth of it.

Kaoru looked ready to crumple into tears. Kenshin stood to comfort her but Kaoru raised a hand and forced Kenshin to stop. The red-head was shocked. It felt like he ran smack into a wall. Kaoru had so much power already? He could walk through it with little effort if he wanted to, but he respected Kaoru. She wanted space. He let her have it.

"No." Kaoru curled up into a ball on the floor, her back resting against the wall by the door. Tears already dripped from her eyes. "You take my humanity, you take Yahiko…now you take what freedom I had left!?" She sobbed. "I wanted a choice." She admitted weakly, her head dropping and blood tainted tears falling on the sheet, staining the cream material pink. She didn't know that letting herself give in this one time meant she was going to be stuck to him forever.

Kenshin sighed. "You didn't have a choice. Our fates were sealed long before we were born." Kenshin wished he had bit his tongue. Kaoru looked up at him, her spirit broken and betrayal in her eyes. With a frustrated cry Kaoru stood and headed out of the lair. Kenshin waved a hand, quickly removing the safeguard before Kaoru touched the door. The female vanished quickly out of the room and out of the house. Kenshin stood there, clothes materialized into place, his eyes rooted upward, feeling where she was walking overhead. He knew when she stepped from the house and knew when she left his property. Then and only then did Kenshin follow.

… . .

Kaoru had no idea what she was doing. There was no place for her to go. Kenshin had Yahiko and she wasn't leaving without the boy. But the thought of leaving Kenshin set off a helpless, panicked feeling within her. She couldn't leave Kenshin, didn't dare. Her very life depended on that man. The realization brought a fresh wave of tears and sobs as she blindly sprinted though the thin forest of trees behind Kenshins' home. The night was old and the moon had already set, leaving Kaoru to wander about in darkness. But she could see as if there were two moons in the sky. She wasn't afraid of anything. Kaoru could feel the life of every living thing around her. Small animals and birds, the constant hum of life from the trees around her and the earth under her bare feet.

It was all surreal, but it came at a great price. Her freedom.

Oh, it wouldn't seem so bad for some. Great house, immortality with the most handsome man you had laid eyes on, who would love you till the earth was swallowed by the sun. But Kaoru didn't see it that way. She lost her freedom to choose what she wanted. Lost control of her life. Being treated like an object. Never being able to see the ocean sparkle in the sun... or butterflies dance from flower to flower in the warm summer air. Never having a moment completely to herself. For even now, Kaoru could feel Kenshin in the back of her mind, watching her every move, knowing her every thought.

Kaoru wanted to rip the hair from her head, to scratch herself bloody. Anything that would give her pain, tell her she was still real. That she still was alive and not a walking corpse. An empty shell of her former self…a husk. Was she even herself anymore? Or was she forever changed…forever with that infuriating Carpathian.

Finally Kaoru couldn't run anymore. Her bare feet were bleeding from the harsh forest floor. But as soon as she stopped, the pain faded and her small wounds healed. She stood at the forest edge, having crossed the whole forest. And while it was small, it was large enough for Kaoru to know she shouldn't have been able to cross it in such little time. How fast had she been running? Kaoru looked down at the sheet wrapped around her body; her loose hair was wild and yet not tangled. Suddenly the situation struck her and she giggled. Here she was, running god knows where, barefoot, with noting but a sheet to cover her no less. Giggles turned to laughter and laughter turned to sobs. Kaoru looked up at the stars as tears fell.

What was she to do? Could she live with Kenshin? Share her soul with him? To never have a moment alone?

She had no choice. Already she felt her body wanting to be close to the warmth of Kenshins' protection. It was a nagging feeling, like an itch that she didn't want to scratch. She sighed and sat with a thud on the ground. Kaoru pulled at the blades of grass, her mind lost, not thinking of anything really. Minutes went by, perhaps an hour. The black sky turned dove grey as dawn approached; the stars blinked out one by one. Tiredness washed over Kaoru. Suddenly Kaoru felt a stir of power, like a warm breeze. She tensed and sent her awareness outward, a skill she didn't even know she had till just them. There was someone there. She went out on a limb.

"I know it's you Himura." She turned her eyes back skyward. Kenshin materialized out of the shadows not five feet from her right. She would have been startled, but she just didn't have the energy… or the spirit.

"So it's back to Himura again?" His voice lacked emotion, but Kaoru knew better. She could feel the turmoil boiling just under his skin.

Kaoru didn't answer she just sat with her eyes to the sky. Kenshin stood as still as the trees. If she was human, she never would have felt anything alive nearby. She wondered how he did it. How could he vanish into his surroundings?

"Stop the lungs." Kenshin said suddenly.

"What?" Kaoru blinked and turned her eyes to the man. "What did you say?"

"You wondered how I kept so still… you stop the lungs. Any mortal can still his body, but breathing and flowing blood will give the body away. Stopping the lungs and or heart helps to keep the body still. It's a good way to mask yourself without using any energy up for a safeguard."

Kaoru blinked at Kenshin for a few moments. Stop the heart? The lungs? Why was she surprised at this? She should have known, she was no longer human. Of course they could stop their organs. Kenshins' gaze softened and he stepped closer.

"Come Kaoru, dawn is coming, and you're not strong enough yet to keep awake long." He held his hand out to help her up. Kaoru didn't acknowledge him. "Kaoru." Kenshins' voice was stern, as if he spoke to a child.

"Go away Himura." Kaoru said sadly. All she wanted was some time to herself. To think.

"Absolutely not Kaoru. Dawn is not an hour away. You leave with me now or I take you with me. I will not risk you getting caught in the dawn." His voice told her his word was final and she wasn't going to get a second warning.

Kaoru looked up at Kenshin. His face was beautifully cruel in the predawn light. No choice, she had no choice. She could go with him, or he would take her by force. It was enough to make her cry. Almost. Kaoru stood without Kenshins help and stomped off the way she came. She didn't hear him, but she knew Kenshin had fallen into step behind her. She didn't want to run, but she walked fast. Yes she wanted to prove to Kenshin that she wasn't afraid, but she wasn't all too sure what the sun would do to her. It seemed the lighter the sky got, the more and more lethargic she became. They were almost to Kenshins' property when the first rays of the sun broke free behind them. Kaoru stumbled. She felt as if she had been trudging through mud up to her knees. She was tired.

Kenshin swooped in silently and picked her up before she could fall. He didn't even break his step. It was as if he knew just when and where she was going to lose her footing. Kaoru would have demanded she walk on her own, but her energy was being sucked out of her. She was helpless, afraid. Kenshin gently probed her mind and kept her calm. Reassuring to her body that he was near. Nothing bad would happen with him near. She felt her body tingle, as if she was swimming in bubbles. There was a moment of disorientation and then Kaoru suddenly found herself back in Kenshin's underground bedroom. Her last thought before she dropped off to sleep was how Kenshin must of done some weird Carpathian phasing to get them underground so fast. She worried if it was healthy…and that made her worry for her sanity.

* * *

A/n ta-da there it is.. Kenshin finally bonded completely with Kaoru and the ritual is now complete. Don't worry, Kaoru will fell better soon. Now I normally update every 3 weeks unless I get a crazy amount of reviews, but I went easy on ya this time because well… well I'm weak and I hate leaving y'all hanging. But you already know my review goal number so I won't say anymore.

Questions? Please ask, I like to clear things up for people, so don't be afraid. Reviews are loved (as you know are also my motivation) And thanks for reading :)


	13. Trip Back Home

a/n Hey everyone, sorry about making ya wait a bit. We was so close to the review goal it wasn't even funny! Gah! Lol Anyways, work is hard, but the pay is fair, so meh,…can't complain. One good thing about work is that I have a long strech of time to think and I'm getting rid of my writers block that is keeping me from finishing my two other stories that I have going on. Woot!

Nothing major happens in this chapter. it's a bit of a filler with a little important information mixed in. It's a bit longer than most my chapters, (go figure) so be happy :) Okay, enough chatter and lets move on to the story.

Disclaimer, I don't own Kenshin or the wok of Christine Feehan.

I give this chapter a G rating.

* * *

Chapter 13

Kaoru gazed out the window, her mind hardly on what was passing by. To her left sat a silent Yahiko. Kaoru didn't have to look at the boy to know that he was a bit uncomfortable in their silence. But Kaoru couldn't think of anything neutral to say to the kid. The secret she and Kenshin kept from him was a weight on her shoulders, an endless pressure that threatened to crush her. It was a feeling that was worse than knowing she accepted Kenshins' demanding attitude. Kaoru knew when to pick her battles; and there was nothing she could do about the bonding Kenshin had done. So there was little reason to fight what can't be changed. But all that was between her and Kenshin; this was between her and Yahiko. That was a feeling altogether different.

To Hell with Kenshin, she was going to tell Yahiko the truth about what happened that night and tell him that she was now a Carpathian, and by god she would find a way to unlock those suppressed memories if Kenshin refused to. Just like she had demanded Kenshin allow her to go back to her Dojo…_alone._ As in, without him. The dojo was her life, she had told him. She was a sensei first and foremost and she had students she needed to take care of. Kaoru couldn't just up and vanish and leave her students in the dark. It wasn't right. Kenshin had agreed on the condition that she take Yahiko with her. She was going to take him anyways but she let Kenshin think he thought the idea up. Besides, he probably already knew she was planning on taking the boy.

Kenshin also insisted that she take one of his vehicles. And provided her with a driver. A human driver, male at that. Kaoru turned her crystal blue eyes to the back of the drivers' head. The human introduced himself as Hiji. Hiji was past middle aged, with kind brown eyes, salt and pepper hair, and an air of horror and dignity about him. He was someone Kenshin obviously trusted. When she asked how long he had worked for Kenshin Hiji simply said that many generations of his family had worked for Kenshin. A not so subtle hint that the man knew of Kenshins' Carpathian secret. Kaoru liked the man. As dignified as he was, Kaoru could read in him that he wasn't afraid to get dirt under his nails and he had taken an instant liking to Yahiko; which scored the man many more brownie points in her eyes. It was a surprise that the man showed up at the drop of a hat. Kenshin placed a single call and the man came without question.

Kaoru turned her eyes away from Hiji and glanced over at Yahiko. The boy had been watching her and she was caught. "So," Kaoru cleared her throat. "How do you like it at Kenshins' house?" Kaoru fidgeted with the red obi around her waist. Yahiko thought for a moment.

"It's nice there. I like it. It's big, and the really nice dojo and all." He paused. "But…" Yahiko glanced away.

"But?" Kaoru leaned forward to try and catch his eyes.

"It's lonely." The boy confessed. Kaoru held back a sigh. Because she and Kenshin had to sleep during the day, Yahiko was left alone much of the time. Kaoru clasped her hand in her lap and gazed down at them, a feeling of guilt almost smothered her. But not a moment later a comforting touch entered her mind. It was Kenshin. Kaoru's lips jumped into a half smile. She knew Kenshin couldn't leave her completely alone for this little trip. His reassurance helped ease her guilt as she turned her gaze back to the boy. Yahiko recovered quickly, ridding his demeanor of any hint of sadness. "I mean I know you've been sick and everything, and Kenshin needs to take care of you."

Kaoru cut him off. "Yahiko, there is a reason other than my being…sick." She started, but Kenshin's mental touch grew and his voice caressed her mind.

'_Not yet Kaoru, not here in the car. Wait until you reach the dojo where he will be more comfortable. You can tell him the truth there, and I'll bring his true memories to the surface.' _

As much anger that Kaoru had for Kenshin, it was extremely hard to stay mad at him. Especially when he showed so much interest and care for Yahiko. Kaoru experimented and reached back to Kenshin with her mind. She was welcomed with a flood of warmth and intense love that left her breathless.

"Well, what is it Ugly?" Yahiko's voice snapped her mind back into the car. "Gezz you need to stop daydreaming so much." Yahiko grumbled at her.

Kaoru ruffled his hair, much to the boys' displeasure. "I'll tell you when we get to the dojo."

"Okay, whatever." Yahiko watched Kaoru for a few moments longer before he turned back to the window.

…. . .

Yahiko couldn't believe how cold and silent the dojo was. They had only been gone for a few days and already it seemed long abandoned. The boy flipped on his bedroom light and stood in the doorway. Something was off. Not right. Kaoru wasn't acting herself at all, and that worried Yahiko. What worried him more though, was that he wasn't acting much like himself either. Perhaps the hit to his head was harder than he thought. Yahiko set the heal of his hand against the pounding headache just over his right eye. It had been plaguing him for days, but he had kept silent. Yet he was positive Mr. Himura suspected that he wasn't feeling well by the way the man watched him during a pretty bad bout of pain. Yahiko snapped out of his thoughts and quickly gathered his few items of clothing and nick-nacks. Including the wooden practice sword Kaoru had given him when she took him off the street.

With everything strapped tightly in a bundle and heaved over his shoulder, Yahiko made his way to the center of the house where Kaoru was busy calling the students to explain that she wouldn't be able to teach then for a while. That was another thing that worried Yahiko. What was Kaoru going to do if she didn't teach swordsmanship? Teaching was Kaorus' life. It didn't seem normal, or right. It was just another strange thing to add to the list. Like whatever it was Kaoru wanted to talk to him about. He was so curious, but he waited, patiently.

Kaoru sat at the low dinning table with her head resting in her hand, and the phone to her ear. She must have pulled the ribbon from her hair because the dark black curtain of hair covered most her face as she stared down at the table. Yahiko sat across from her just as she set the phone back on the cradle. The first place she called was the hospital. Yahiko was more than a little shocked to hear Kaoru explain that some unexpected and unavoidable things had happened and that she would have to quit her nursing job.

"Was that the last one?" Yahiko asked softly, noticing the pained, almost depressed look on her face. He suddenly felt so sorry for her. She must be really sick to need to stop teaching.

Kaoru shook her head. "No, I have four more." She looked up at Yahiko and bit her lip. "How have you been feeling? Kenshin told me you've been suffering some mild head pains." Her eyes returned to the little spiral address book as she flipped though it to find the phone number for the next student.

What the Hell? Wasn't he just thinking about that? And how would Kenshin know? He didn't say a thing to anyone. "I never said a word about headaches to anyone, how would Kenshin know?" the boy watched her out of the corner of his eyes as she paused her page flipping.

"Kenshin has…special abilities." She started. The address book was closed and set aside.

Yahiko watched Kaoru chew on her bottom lip, her eyes looked at everything around them, never once falling on him. When Kaoru didn't go on, Yahiko pressed. "What kind of abilities?"

_Here we go_. "He can read minds." She blurted, biting her lip again as if she wasn't sure she should be talking of such things. Would it put Yahiko in danger if he knew about Carpathians? Would it be more dangerous if he didn't know?

Yahiko eyed her with a blank look. "Bull." He finally shot back. It wasn't at all like Kaoru to tell such tales. Was she trying to tease him?

"I mean it Yahiko. I know you haven't told him or anyone about your headaches, and yet he knew about them. Why didn't you tell anyone?" Kaoru tipped her head to the side. Sadness and compassion made her eyes shimmer with unshed tears.

Yahiko didn't like that look. It made him ashamed for keeping his secret. It made sense though, how else did Kenshin know about his headaches? But read minds? "Come on Kaoru, you don't expect me to believe that do you?" He gave a strained halfhearted laugh, but when Kaoru didn't join in, it died on his lips. "Do you?"

"It's true Yahiko, Kenshin can read minds, and so can I." Braver and more sure, Kaoru straightened up and tipped up her chin. "Kenshin isn't human. He's something special." Kaoru was aware her voice was nearly dripping with admiration for her lifemate. She couldn't help but feel pride in him. It was also the first time she regarded Kenshin as her lifemate. Was she finally accepting the circumstances?

Yahiko set both hands on the table and leaned forward. "What do ya mean he isn't human?" His voice rose in volume and intensity. "What is he then? What are you?" What the heck was he? Did he change too? Was that why he felt as if he wasn't himself?

Kaoru sat up ram-rod straight. "Carpathians."

"Who?"

"Carpathians… I'm not sure myself just what they are. From what I gather, they are an ancient race of people." Kaoru watched Yahiko. He was looking at her like she just grew a third eye.

'_Way to break it to the boy.'_ Kenshin suddenly jumped in. His voice slightly startled Kaoru and she stumbled mentally.

'_Hush, I don't see you trying.'_ Kaoru snapped back, but not harshly. Kenshin wisely kept silent.

"Yeah right Kaoru. Wouldn't I've know this a long time ago. We've been friends with Kenshin for a long while." Yahiko was getting nervous. Was this why Kaoru was acting strange? She wasn't human anymore? The boy shook his head. No no, he wasn't going to believe that. Kaoru was just trying to trick him for a good laugh.

"We've only known Kenshin for a few days Yahiko. We were kidnapped the other day and held prisoner in a cave by a vampire. Kenshin saved us." Kaoru willed the boy to understand, her eyes pleaded him to believe her. "Those headaches are from when you were thrown against the cave wall and hit your head."

Yahiko felt panic and jumped to his feet. "Quit playing around Ugly. Kenshin told me I was in a bad fight!" Why was she lying to him? She couldn't possibly think he was going to believe this? Couldn't she think up a story that was a bit more plausible?

'_Yahiko, you shouldn't be calling Kaoru names._' Kenshin's voice rang loudly in his head and scared the boy so badly he slipped on the smooth floor mats and went crashing to the ground.

"What the Hell!" Yahiko's wide brown eyes darted all over the room.

'_And you shouldn't curse so much, that you shouldn't' _Kenshin added.

"If that's true. Why can't I remember the vampire or the kidnapping!" Yahiko scrambled to his feet.

Kaoru sighed "Kenshin suppressed those memories and added new ones, to keep you calm." _'Kenshin can you read his mind like mine?'_ Was he talking to Yahiko on the common path? He must be because she could hear everything Kenshin said to him. But how was all this possible? Was Yahiko sensitive like she was?

'_No, I can only sense feelings and intentions. Most of what I'm picking up right now, I'm getting though your eyes and ears. Yahiko does have some weak psychic vibes. They might have been what drew you to the boy when he was on the streets.' _

"Wait a minute!" Yahiko clenched his hands into fists. "I want my real memories back." He didn't care if Kenshin was only trying to protect him. It wasn't right. What right did Kenshin have to keep the truth from him? He wasn't a child that needed to be protected like that.

"He was only doing what he thought was best at the time." Kaoru defended Kenshin, why?... she didn't know. She just knew that everything Kenshin had done had been in Yahiko's best interest. "But now that things seem to be better, I don't see why you shouldn't know the truth." She added. It was probably safer for the boy to know the truth than to be kept ignorant.

"Damn right!" Yahiko growled. "Lets go back right now, I want my memories now." The boy made to leave the room but Kaoru reached out and snagged Yahiko by the back of the shirt, causing the boy to lose balance and fall on his back again.

"Wait just a minute Yahiko. We don't have to rely on Kenshin all the time. I'm Carpathian too." She said matter-of-factly.

Yahiko scrambled back to his feet, shooting Kaoru an evil look. "You think you can unlock my memories?" he rubbed the back of his head where he hit the ground. "Is it hard?" Calmer now, Yahiko sat down again.

Kaoru shrugged. "I don't know, I've only been Carpathian for a little over a day. It can't be too hard." She muttered, unwilling to admit having no clue whatsoever about what to do.

'_Imagine a lock in Yahiko's mind, and a key sitting in that lock. Turn it.'_ Kenshin offered.

"I've never really done anything like this before." Kaoru said with an almost meek sound to her voice. "I haven't been Carpathian long at all." Even with Kenshin helping her Kaoru wasn't too sure of herself. What if she did something horrible, like...erase his mind or something? That thought alone almost made Kaoru change her mind.

_'You won't ease his mind, Firecracker.'_ Kenshin reassured. _'It takes a pretty powerful mind and lots of control to do such a thing. And, forgive me for saying, lifemate, but you don't posses that sort of power and control.'_

"Try anyways, Kaoru." Yahiko urged. The trust and confidence the boy had in her helped some of the sting of Kenshin's words.

Kaoru took a breath and held it; her eyes locking on to Yahikos'. Would she?...Could she? She offered and she couldn't take back her words. Not when Yahiko was watching her so. "Alright," She breathed. "Just sit there and...hold still." she knew Kenshin could probably do this across the street with the person having no idea his thoughts were being manipulated. But Kaoru wasn't all too sure of what to expect. She wanted this to be as easy as possible. It was less of a chance for her to screw things up.

_'Just calm down. You won't screw up.'_ Kenshin murmured softly. His confidence in her almost made Kaoru nervous all over again. But she swallowed once and closed her eyes.

At once she had to open them again, feeling the need to have Yahiko in sight. Power flared up within her, making Kaoru feel as though she was sitting on a currant of warm air. Unsure what to do next she tried reaching out to Yahiko with the warm air feeling. To Kaoru's surprise, she could see the power, as if it was something tangible that only her eyes could see. Glittering golden fingers reached out to Yahiko and dove in his mind. Kaoru felt her body lurch and suddenly she too felt herself enter Yahikos' mind.

It didn't take Kaoru long at all to find the suppressed memories. It was like the one red box out of a pile of green ones. It stuck out like a sore thumb. Obviously; Kenshin really did mean this to be only temporary, for it wasn't hard at all to open up the "box" of memories. Kaoru could see flashes of the memories as she let them return. Images of the humans who kidnapped them, of Shishio, the cave. Curiously, Yahiko had many memories of the short haired little girl that she had tried to protect from Chou. A large reddish brown dog, a man in a trench coat and a maze of forest were some other memories that floated back into their rightful places.

When the "red box" was empty, Kaoru felt herself start to pull away from Yahikos' mind. But there was something else that caught her eye. It was another "box" that seemed out of place. Curious, Kaoru reached out and opened it up. This time the visions didn't float out and return to where there had been originally, this was where these memories truly belonged. Kaoru saw herself on the floor of her dojo, looking very bad indeed and Yahiko was on the phone with someone, calling for help. Kenshin flashed before her eyes, calming Yahiko and kneeling down next to her unconscious body on the floor. _'the false memories'_ Kaoru realized. These were the implanted memories that Kenshin put here to keep Yahiko calm.

Kaoru didn't know if she should do anything with these memories. Should she leave them there? Remove them? What was the best thing to do? It was up to her, Kaoru figured, she didn't think Kenshin would butt in on something that was so important to her.

Finally Kaoru decided to leave the memories there. She only exposed them for what they really were, fake. This way, Yahiko wouldn't have such a hard time believing his real memories.

Then and only then did Kaoru finally pull free from Yahikos' mind. She felt herself return to her body and slowly removed the golden fingers of power from Yahikos' mind. The whole thing took not even three seconds, and Kaoru was able to watch Yahiko blink out of the trance he was in. Realization of his new memories was very evident in his eyes. Kaoru could almost see the exact moment when they clicked into place.

Kaoru held her breath, yet Yahiko did nothing but sit there silently. Only the emotion in his eyes gave away his feelings. Fear...hurt, anger. His little body tensed up, his hands clenched so tightly that his nails were leaving half moon imprints in his palms. Finally Yahiko let out a breath that he had been holding. His eyes closed and when they opened the boy seemed to be at peace.

"Yahiko?" Kaoru inquired when the boy didn't say anything right away. Yahiko blinked and looked over at Kaoru for what seemed to be the first time in a while. His eyes were clear, his mind was clear. He was his own person again. Kaoru knew instantly that she had done the right thing by giving him back his memories.

"I'm okay Kaoru." the boy said as he climbed to his feet. Yahiko wasn't all too sure if he was fine. But one thing he knew for sure. Yahiko forgave Kenshin for messing around with his memories. The horrible things that had happened...Yahiko knew, he knew that he never would have gone willingly with Kenshin, nor would he have let Kaoru go with him. Even if he was the one who saved their lives. He wasn't human, and at that time, if you weren't human, you were the bad guy. Yahiko would have done the same thing if he was in Kenshin's place.

Kaoru smiled, her whole body slowly relaxing. "Hey, how 'bout we go take you somewhere and get something for you to eat after I finish calling the rest of the students? You must be starving." As if on cue, Yahikos' stomach gave a monster of a growl. The boy blushed slightly and got to his feet. He hadn't had a thing to eat for hours. Food sounded really good right now.

"Yeah, I would like that Kaoru." the boy said softly.

Kaoru relaxed her kneeling position as she watched her charge bolt down his food as if it was the last thing Yahiko was ever going to taste. They had stopped by a small family owned restaurant near Kenshins' neighborhood. It seemed safe enough; each table was surrounded by paper and bamboo walls to give the dinners some sort of privacy. The Akabeko was quaint and rather relaxing. Even to Kaoru, who's sensed were being bombarded with sounds and smells. But the woman was able to turn down her sensitivity, just as Kenshin had taught her.

"Yahiko," Kaoru protested in a warning tone. "Don't eat so fast. This isn't your last meal you know."

The boy swallowed what was shoved in his mouth and flashes an apologetic smile at Kaoru. "Sorry Ugly, But after having to put up with your cooking, and Sanos' and mine, well, I'm glad to have something different."

"Hey I thought I cooked pretty damn good." Came a voice next to them.

Kaoru turned to the one side of the little cubby that didn't have a wall and there stood Sano smiling. His hair was still in its spiky, rooster like style, hands were shoved deep in the pockets of his black pants.

"Sanosuke?!" Kaoru gasped. Did Kenshin know he was here?

_'I do now Lifemate. Don't worry, I didn't send him out to keep an eye on you. Your meeting was purely coincidence.'_ Kenshin answered before flickering back to the edge of her mind, leaving her alone again.

"Hey Missy, Hey kid." Sano gave Yahikos' hair a ruffle before kicking off his shoes and joining them, kneeling at the table with his back to the exposed side. It was almost painfully clear to Kaoru that he had walled her in so that Sano would be between her and any danger that happened to walk by.

Ignoring Yahiko's protests of being called kid, Kaoru leaned in slightly. "Sano, what are you doing here?"

Sano glanced over at Yahiko.

"Don't worry. I already know about you and Kenshin." Yahiko said haphazardly as he returned to his meal. "I got my memories back too." With that, the boy dove back into his food.

"Ah, I see." Sano turned his grinning face back to Kaoru. "This just happens to be one of my favorite hangouts. Imagine my surprise to find you here." He murmured as he signaled for service.

"Oh." was the only lame answer that Kaoru could think of. Kenshin didn't seem too upset at Sano being there with her. The two were the best of friends from what she gathered. But Kenshin did get a little weird when the other man got too close to her. Kenshin wasn't saying anything now, at least not to her so she didn't worry about it much. "I'm glad; I was getting tired of watching the bottomless pit there." She turned her eyes back to Yahiko as Sano laughed.

"I hope you don't mind my joining you." Sano said after a little waitress girl took his order. Kaoru only half heard him, for her eyes were on the girl as she walked away.

"Not that I had a choice in the matter, right?" Kaoru finally answered. Sano's eyebrow shot up.

"True, I can't leave you alone without any protection." Sano scowled slightly. "Where is Kenshin?"

"Hey I can protect her!" Yahiko chimed from his rice bowl. Both adults ignored him.

"He's, back home. I think. I went to my dojo today to gather some things that we needed and to cancel future classes with my students until we can figure out what to do." Kaoru answered.

She seemed sad to Sano. Which was understandable. Her whole life as she knew it just ended. Adjusting wasn't going to take a day or two. But still. For a male to leave his lifemate to go out alone. Having a female must have really put a wrench in Kenshins' thinking gears.

"If Aoshi finds out, that man'll have his head." Sanosuke half joked. Neither he nor Kaoru laughed, for both of them knew that what Kenshin was doing was against all Carpathian laws. "But, now that I'm here, it won't be so bad." Sano said with a cocky tone and grin. The small girl returned with a plate of food and a small bottle of sake.

Kaoru watched the girl closely as she set the food down in front of Sano and poured him a cup of sake. She had a shy demeanor, Kaoru could sense that she was almost fearful of everyone around her. Then, just by chance, Kaoru caught sight of something that made her blood run cold.

Sano picked up on Kaoru's change and he tensed ever so slightly, waiting for anything that could be a threat.

The girl left and Kaoru kept silent until she was sure they were out of earshot. "That girl." She hissed. Sano lifted his sake cup and an eyebrow.

_'What about her?_' he downed the sake in a single swallow and watched in amusement as Kaoru stumbled over her words, clearly surprised that he could talk to her mentally_. 'Use the common path. We have no private link unless one of us shares blood. And I value my head right were it is.' _Kenshin would maul him if he did such a thing unless it was an emergency.

_'That girl, she had bite marks on her neck!_' nearly half her neck was covered in bite marks. It was a horrible thing to see, especially when Kaoru knew what creature caused those bites.

_'If I'm not mistaken,'_ Sano started casually, chopsticks in hand_. 'That was the child you saved from Chou when we came to rescue you. I believe her name is Tsubame.' _

Kaoru blinked. That was the girl? She didn't resemble the terrified, pale, starving, half naked child that she tried almost in vain to protect. _'What is she doing here?'_

_'I know the family that owns this restaurant, I told them there were two sisters who had some traumatic happenings and needed to get back on there feet. They don't have any memory of Shishio or of anything that really happened to them for that matter. They believe it was a human man who did such things to them.' _He pointed over to a young woman_. 'That's Tae, her older sister.'_ The woman didn't look any better than her younger sister. She was painfully thin, pale and her eyes held such sadness. But the young woman carried herself with such inner strength. Trying her best to be strong for her younger sister.

Kaoru shivered. They didn't catch Shishio, which meant he was still out there somewhere. Would the creature come back for her, for them? Shishio said he would. But she was Carpathian now; would that make any difference to the vampire? "I hope someone catches Shishio." Kaoru muttered. Sano looked down at his plate. There was a significantly less amount of food on the plate, even though Kaoru had yet to see him take a single bite.

"We will catch Shishio." Sano stated confidently, raising his golden brown eyes to Kaoru. "But the truth is it could take weeks or months to find out where the thing ran off to. If the vampire decided to globe trek, well...it will be up to our Carpathian brothers overseas to bring him down. If Shishio is careful about hiding who he is and not leave a trail of death behind him...well it could take years to find him. He is a master vampire. And a smart one at that."

"Gezz, sugar coat it won't ya." Yahiko snapped. The plates in front of him were empty and the boy focused his attention to parts of the conversation he could pick up. It was the stone cold truth, but that didn't mean Sanosuke had to put it in such a hopeless tone.

"We must never let our guard down." The Carpathian male turned to the young boy intensity flashed in his eyes and strained his voice. "Just because the monster ran off, does not mean that things will be right again. This is the time we must be extremely careful. Shishio may gather up other vampires to make his force stronger." Sano relaxed, but the smile didn't return to his face. He ducked his head and sighed before lifting it again and caught Kaoru's eyes and locked his gaze on hers for the first time. "I don't want you to live in fear Missy; but the truth is, the longer time goes with no word about Shishio...the more dangerous things may become. I know Shishio... I know he won't let you go so easily."

"What about the others. The women he had with him. Those men that took Yahiko and I? What will happen to them?" Kaoru gazed past Sano to the small girl child in the restaurant uniform. Kaoru didn't want that girl to have to suffer again. She didn't want anyone to suffer.

Sano straightened up and set his perfectly clean chopsticks on the now empty plate. "Shishio won't bother with the human females. It would be too much of a hassle and a danger to himself to try and gather them up. Especially because he knows that we're keeping an eye on these girls just incase he does take one again." The Carpathian shook his head, sending his chocolate hair flying wild for just a moment before it snapped back into place. "No, I'm sure nothing will happen with the girls. The men on the other hand." Sano clenched one hand into a fist. "The men work for Shishio freely. They are seduced by the kind of power the vampire gives them. If Shishio doesn't find them, they will find Shishio. They are loyal to him."

Yahiko chewed on the end of one chopstick, his mind deep in thought. "Hey, but if you catch one of those guys. Couldn't you or Kenshin get answers from him?"

Sano grinned. It was a dangerous, cruel grin that left Kaoru feeling cold. "If we get our hands on one of those men, nothing, no matter how loyal he is to that monster, will keep us from getting answers. We'll get him to talk."

* * *

A/n As many of you know, I'm working on the second part of this story. It is still going to have Kenshin and Kaoru, but will mostly focus on Sano and his story. I have a question, would you want me to just continue the story right after this? (as in don't make a separate story) This means that this will have like 60 chapters (20 for each story- Kenshin, Sano, and Aoshi) OR should I make a separate story for each one? It's up to you. Leave your vote in the review. Majority vote wins :)

Next chapter won't be as boring as this one. Kaoru finally gets to meet the Prince and we get to see Tomoe! Well until then, Thanks for reading, reviews are loved.


	14. Family Meeting

A/n Aww my last chapter got the least amount of reviews ever! Gah!...well I know that the review thingy was having issues so I wouldn't be very surprised if not everyone was able to review So I'm not too upset about it :P but thank you to those of you who did and were able to review! Anyways I won't keep you long, I know y'all want to get to the story.

Nothing super major in this chapter, other than Kaoru finally meets the other half of the crew and learns a thing or two. Anyways, I'll shut up now and leave ya to the story.

* * *

Disclaimer, I don't own Kenshin or the work of Ms. Feehan

I give this chapter a G raiting.

* * *

Yahiko sat between the two Carpathians. Kaoru on his right was gazing out the window, her eyes distant and troubled looking. Sano on his left gazed out the window too. But his eyes were alert focused, even though his body language told Yahiko that he was as relaxed and carefree as any young man would be after a large meal. All three of them sat there in silence. Nothing but the low hum of the car engine sounded, and that only seem to deepen the silence rather than break it.

He hated it.

Kaoru's ki was now so strong that it radiated from her in waves. Sano...Hell his ki was so strong that Yahiko swore he could feel the energy of it pushing at him. The boy was cross. Why did all of this have to happen? Why did things have to change? Sure things change a bit for the better. They lived in this awesomely cool house with a dojo and enough money that they didn't have to care about it anymore. But Yahiko was lonely now, bored. And Kaoru had to give up her family dojo and give up her teaching and her job at the hospital. And not to mention that now they had a really pissed off vampire thing to worry about. It was all nuts. Yahiko just wanted things to be back to their simple way again.

Sano tensed slightly and Yahiko looked up. They were almost home and something caught Sanosukes' attention. The boy tried to look out the front of the car but he didn't see anything strange or different.

"Damn." Sano muttered. Both Yahiko and Kaoru whipped their gaze over at Sanosuke.

"What?" Both boy and guardian asked in unison.

Sano shifted in his seat and looked rather uncomfortable and a bit sheepish. "Kenshin has company."

"So?" Kaoru asked. Kenshin didn't say anything to her about company. In fact, Kenshin hadn't said a thing to her after Sano showed up. They still had their connection; Kenshin just wasn't contributing any information to her.

Sano rubbed the back of his neck. "It's Aoshi. I'm sure Kenshin is getting his ass handed to him for letting you go off alone."

Kaoru's mouth dropped open. For some reason, Kaoru couldn't imagine anyone getting the better of Kenshin. But she remembered Aoshi. That dark, powerful scary Carpathian that had healed her. As much as she was confident in her lifemate...she wasn't fool enough to believe that there weren't others out there stronger than Kenshin. And Aoshi sure did seem to be stronger. "B-but it's not Kenshin's fault. I made him stay home."

Sano snickered, and then laughed. "Missy, Kenshin _allowed_ you to go off by yourself while he stayed home. I'm sure he let you only to keep you happy. But trust me; he had full control over this decision."

Kaoru bristled, literally. Anger made the small hairs on her body stand straight. But before she could shoot back with a scathing remark about their foolish idea of male dominance, the car door was pulled open and Kaoru was quickly ushered out of the car by the Hiji and sent into the house. Yahiko trailed right behind her; no doubt he wanted to see Aoshi as much as she did.

Kaoru didn't have to search for Kenshin. She knew just were he was the moment she reached out for him. She could feel his power pulling her to him, and she obeyed, and for once, she wanted to obey. Kaoru and Yahiko heard the voices long before they reached the library. Shouts flew from the open door and both Yahiko and Kaoru hesitated before slowly entering the room. The library was a medium sized room but every inch of wall was covered in shelves of books. Only the door, fireplace and the window were clear of books. The air inside was thick with power and tension.

Kenshin had one hand braced on the mantle of the fireplace, his eyes locked on the flames within. The fire made his skin glow and his blood red hair seemed to come alive. His face was set in an angry, annoyed mask that only further showed how handsome he was. For a moment Kaoru was breathless and the world around her vanished, leaving only Kenshin. Aoshi on the other hand, stood in the center of the room, arms crossed with an indifferent look on his face. The Carpathian held himself with a casual air, but Kaoru could feel the power and anger boiling under that facade.

They could have been talking about what to paint the kitchen walls if Kaoru hadn't heard the shouting. Both had minimal emotion about them, both showed no threat to the other. Only Kenshin gave away how stressed the situation was. And Kaoru suspected that was only because he was now able to feel and express his emotions. The red-head looked up from the fire and stalked over to Kaoru. The girl bumped into Yahiko as she tried to back away. Kenshin reached out, took her arm, made sure she was steady before pulling her to his side. The contact seemed to ease the tension in Kenshin. His face softened and he flashed a small almost secretive smile.

Aoshi glared at them. Though he had an almost blank look on his face, Kaoru knew he was very, very upset. Finally the man sighed and dropped his arms. But the power that he radiated didn't die down.

"I'm glad you are safe." Aoshi's relaxed voice seemed to ease all in the room. Even Kenshin felt himself relax almost completely. Sano wandered in and stood behind the pair.

"I'm glad to see Kenshin is in one piece." The youngest Carpathian said with a smile. Aoshi scowled slightly at Sano.

"I wasn't really in any danger." Kaoru tipped her chin up, refusing to be intimidated by Aoshi, even though she was. "Don't be angry with Kenshin." She said, defending her lifemate.

_'It's impossible to hide anything from Aoshi. He's too powerful. Don't say anything false.'_ Kenshin warned, though his tone was that of milk and honey, caressing her, wrapping around every inch of her body; a comforting warm blanket.

_'I'm not._' Kaoru insisted as she tried her best not to be seduced on the spot by the mere sound of Kenshin's voice.

"Sanosuke was with us much of the time anyways." She added. But her voice died down as Aoshi stepped up to her. Kenshin's grip became almost painful as he clamped tighter to Kaoru. He shifted just slightly, but it was enough that Kaoru found herself with Kenshin planted squarely between her and Aoshi. Aoshi paused and held his ground. Then and only then did Kenshin relax enough to let Kaoru stand at his side again.

"Still, it is foolish for you to let your woman wander alone. Shishio is still out there and can attack at any moment." He directed to Kenshin. Aoshi turned his deadly gaze upon Kaoru again. "I am glad though." Aoshi started, his voice had surprisingly fallen to a gentle tone. As if he was talking to a precious child. "You took the transformation well. We were not sure if the vampire blood would have any effect on you. It doesn't seem to. Yet it is still too early to tell." He turned to Kenshin. "Keep an eye on her. Problems may crop up after time."

"Problems?" A sliver of fear wormed its way past Kenshins' comforting touch and struck Kaoru. What kind of problems? Was the blood she took from Shishio going to mess her up? Make her ill or crazy?

Kenshin tightened his grip and sent her waves of comfort and reassurance. "Don't worry about that right now Firecracker. I'll make sure everything is all right." He smiled gently down at her. Kaoru was flooded with warmth and loving that left her almost weak beside him.

It was in that moment that Kaoru felt something strange. The room was nearly abuzz with power from the three Carpathian males and yet there seemed to be even more power. This power had shifted; like a thread being pulled, bunching up the fabric in one spot. That one spot was the room. The males felt it too and instantly went on their guard. Yahiko held his breath. Kaoru was about to ask what was going on when the power in the room seemed to multiply. It almost smothered the girl before she was able to adjust her body to the new power. Right before her eyes, a dark blue almost black mist swirled into the room and curled around itself in a spiral higher and higher. Aoshi stepped back and Sano walked from the wall behind the pair to the other side of the room.

Kenshin side stepped away from the mist, dragging a stunned looking Kaoru with him. The mist grew in thickness before turning solid. Standing there in the center of the room was a man…a Carpathian man….a powerful Carpathian man. Kaoru tipped her head up, for this man seemed to be endlessly tall to her and she had to take another step back so she wasn't looking at the bottom of his chest.

"Kaoru, this is Seijurou Hiko, Prince of the Carpathian race." Kenshin smiled up at the Prince as he maneuvered a still stunned Kaoru closer to him. "Hiko, this is Kamiya Kaoru. My lifemate."

To Kaoru, the tall, long haired man sure didn't look like a prince. He looked like a king! His face was set in a stern logical expression. Darkness and power pulsed from his form and it was enough to frighten Kaoru just a little. He wore black pants, his dress shirt looked to be black, but the dancing firelight highlighted the fabric to show that it was really a deep wine red. His massive shoulders supported a large mantle of heavy black fabric that draped behind his back. This man was important, deadly strong. The other men in the room stood with ease, yet ready to spring into action should anything threaten the Prince. Kaoru was sure the man could defend himself; it was loyalty that drove the other males to protect him.

Silence hung in the air. Kaoru wanted to say something, but the words froze in her mouth. Was she suppose to bow? Pledge alliance to this man. He _was_ her prince now too. She felt slight amusement from Kenshin and realized that the brat wasn't going to give her any hint as to what to do next. Finally she unglued her tongue from the roof of her mouth. "N-nice to meet you Mr. Seijurou." She clasped her hands in front of her and bowed low in greeting. The man looked her up and down once and nodded, as if giving approval.

"Welcome to the family Kaoru. Please just call me Hiko, you're my sister-in-law now." He bowed his head just enough to let a lock of obsidian black hair to fall from his shoulder. Hiko's voice rumbled within the small room. Instantly all tension vanished. The men relaxed, Kaoru relaxed and Yahiko finally started breathing again.

"Sister-in-law?!" Kaoru felt her mouth drop open and hang there. Kenshin chuckled beside her and caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers. The action brought her attention away from the Prince and back to her lifemate.

"My sister is Hikos' lifemate." Kenshin explained. His smile was warm, his eyes full of laughter. Kaoru only stood here, flabbergasted at this bit of news. She was about to speak with again the power in the room shifted. Another thread had been pulled. This time, all four males got very edgy. The smiled vanished from Kenshin and Sano's faces, Aoshi planted himself squarely in front of the one window in the room. Kaoru turned to Yahiko, the boy had been standing by the door the whole time, silent and observing.

"Yahiko, it's time you got ready for bed." She didn't know why, but she felt that the less people here, the better it would be. And Yahiko was the only one who was human, plus it was well past his bed time.

Yahiko wanted to protest. There was a real life Prince right there in the room with him. But the boy felt the tension pick up, and Kaoru had sounded deadly serious. Kenshin watched him with his hawk yellow eyes to see if he would obey. Sighing, the boy nodded and darted out of the room knowing that he could pump Kaoru for information tomorrow night. Hiko closed the library door as the boy left and stood near it.

Kaoru wasn't very surprised this time to see mist flow into the room through the crack at the bottom of the now closed door. This mist was pearly white and shimmered in the light. The mist spiraled up and quickly grew solid. Kaoru wasn't all too sure who to expect, but the last things she expected was a woman…a very pregnant woman. She was just slightly taller than Kaoru, and wore a deep purple kimono that did nothing to hide the fact that she was expecting. The woman also wore a heavy black mantle that hung to the floor. She turned and faced Kaoru. Kaoru felt her breath leave her; she had never seen such beauty. It was almost too painful to watch the woman move. Large dark almost sad looking eyes caught Kaoru's sapphire gaze and a dazzling smile broke out across the delicate pale face.

"Tomoe!" Hiko chided. "You were not to leave the house. Traveling may be dangerous to the baby." Even though he was scolding, nothing could hide the sparkle in the Princes' eyes. Kaoru didn't have to be a genius to see that the man loved this woman so very much. Even when scolding, his voice held such love to soften the sting of his words. It was beautiful and almost brought tears to Kaoru's eyes. Was that the kind of love she and Kenshin could have is she just let him?

Tomoe waved a delicate pale hand, as if brushing off her lifemate's words. "Like anything was going to keep me from meeting my brother's lifemate." She said with sisterly love as she stepped closer to the pair. Her liquid black eyes danced with excitement. "Oh I'm so happy for you Shinta. You have no idea how much I worried for you."

"I do." Hiko muttered with mock scorn.

"Hush." Tomoe said without even a glance at her lifemate. She closed the distance between them and hugged Kenshin tightly. "I'm so glad my big brother finally found his love." With one more squeeze she let go of a slightly startled Kenshin and turned to Kaoru. Kaoru opened her mouth to greet the woman but Tomoe instantly wrapped her arms around her. Kaoru felt an instant of love, caring, unconditionally…like a mother would have for her child. It was a bit overwhelming to Kaoru, who hadn't felt such love in years. It almost brought the tears back to her eyes.

"I'm so happy to have another woman around." Tomoe finally said as she slowly let Kaoru go. The sparkle slowly faded from Tomoes' eyes, leaving them with a smoldering look that only added to her delicate beauty.

Kaoru took a few long moments before here mind had a chance to catch up. By then Hiko moved to stand along side Tomoe. The small beauty looked almost like a child standing next to the giant of a man that the Prince was.

"This is Tomoe, my lifemate." Hiko said proudly, his eyes gazing down at his woman and she gazed up at him. "Tomoe, this is Kaoru, our new sister." Tomoe looked back at Kaoru and smiled.

"I never had a sister." Tomoe confessed. "And as mush as Shinta may look like a girl, he makes a lousy sister." She added with a wink.

A split moment of silence hung in the air before Kaoru found herself throwing her head back and laughing. Sano soon joined in.

"Tomoe!" Kenshin protested weakly as Hiko started to chuckle. Soon they were all laughing, except Aoshi, who was still incapable of laughing. He did have a slightly amused look in his eyes though.

With the ice broken and the Carpathians all relaxed and introduced; Kaoru was able to stand back and take in her new family. She was speechless, unable to speak more than monosyllable answers. Kenshin kept a calming and possessive arm around her waist.

The mood shifted when Hiko brought up the subject of Shishio. Kaoru grew uneasy all over again and Tomoe made her way to her side and took her arm.

"Come one Kaoru, lets go take a walk. Kenshin has a wonderful garden." Tomoe gently tugged Kaoru out of Kenshins's hold.

"A-are you sure you should be out?" Kaoru remembered Kenshin saying that it was very hard for the woman when they were pregnant and Kaoru would never forgive herself if something happened to Tomoe or the baby on her account. But Tomoe waved the concern away.

"Don't you worry about a thing. Besides, I hate having to sit through the males talking of the vampires. I get enough of that having to share minds with Hiko." She guided Kaoru away from Kenshin. The red-head looked about ready to protest but he swallowed whatever it was he wanted to say. Satisfied, Tomoe took Kaoru out of the room.

… . .

If he didn't know any better, Kenshin would say that Tomoe was up to something. She was usually a very calm, almost stoic. Then again, Tomoe was expecting, that alone might be enough to bring her inner child out. That and the fact that she now had a sister. Kenshin touched Kaoru softly with his mind, finding that she was slightly amused and pleasantly surprised at Tomoe's nature.

"Kenshin!" Came Hikos' voice

"Oro?" Kenshin turned his attention back to the group of males and gave them a sheepish smile. "Sorry."

"As I was saying," Hiko started, turning back to the others but not before flashing Kenshin an understanding smile. "Have you heard anything on Shishio?"

"Nothing with substance." Aoshi reported as he crossed his arms across his chest. "Rumors of him fleeing to the other side of the country, to heading over to China." The dark one shook his head. "But nothing solid, all rumors."

"Aw he won't make China any time soon." Sanosuke stated. It took time for a vampire to cross water. True the hop from Japan to China was nothing major, but still, it took time, as well as timing.

"M'Yes." Hiko agreed, crossing his arms in front of him to unwittingly mirror Aoshi. "Sanosuke, the human females that Shishio took as slaves?"

"All are recovering and getting back to their lives." Sanosuke shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned up against one bookshelf, looking almost bored with the meeting.

"And their memories?" Hiko added.

"Wiped clean of anything vampire." The spiky haired man shrugged. "Don't worry about them."

Hiko glared at Sano for a moment before turning to Kenshin. "I know you'll have your hands full with your new lifemate. But we need to track those humans who kidnapped Kaoru." A blaze of anger flashed behind Hikos' cool, calm yet deadly gaze.

Kenshin was reluctant of taking on anything at the moment. Right now he was still trying to acclimate Kaoru, and suddenly she seemed to be in a very accepting and submissive mood. Now would be a great time to help her bond with him and his people. But he couldn't put something like this off. Those men needed to be caught before they harmed anyone else. Besides, they might have information on Shishio. "Any news on them?" Kenshin asked Aoshi.

The Carpathian healer actually grinned. It was a grin of a monster, and was cold enough to make Sanosuke shiver. "They all stay in the same housing complex."

"Why didn't you go right after them once you found them?" Hiko inquired, not liking the look in Aoshi's eyes.

"I thought Kenshin should be the one to bring justice to them. It was his woman that they delivered into the hands of evil." Wicked golden-brown eyes glittered as Aoshi gazed over at Kenshin.

Sanosuke chuckled from his corner of the room. "Boy Aoshi that right there…that was evil. Sending Kenshin after them." Those humans were as good as dead.

"Hai." Hiko agreed, only he was more solemn about it. "What do you think Kenshin? I know you can handle it. But will you?"

Kenshin's mind screamed for justice. The beast within him screamed for revenge. He hardly had much of a choice in this matter. "Yes," He grunted slightly then added in a cleared voice. "But I go alone." He eyed the other three Carpathians. All nodded in agreement, not even Aoshi would take this from the red-head.

"Alright, now that we have that matter out of the way. Time for one that becomes more pressing by the week." Hiko stated, watching Kenshin and Sano wince slightly, unwilling to really think about this extra thorn in their sides. Aoshi on the other hand stayed as passive as ever.

Hiko took a deep breath, "It's about the human vampire hunters."

… . .

Kaoru stepped lightly on the cobble stone-style path that weaved around the large garden Kenshin had in his backyard. Tomoe was only slightly ahead of her admiring some rose bushes whose buds had started to bloom. Kaoru couldn't think of any time in her life that she'd seem a more beautiful woman. Tomoe didn't walk, she seem to float just over the ground. Her steps were so smooth and graceful; her ink black hair shimmered like black silk in the light of the moon. Eyes like dark pools were set off by the milky paleness of her skin. Tomoe was the vision of femininity, curved in the right places and looking soft and sexy. She held herself with grace, elegance, and a healthy dose of dignity, something only years of refinement could have brought out in Kaoru. A soft, aura-like glow came off of Tomoe. It looked so ethereal, that Kaoru became breathless just watching the woman. Even the obvious bump in her tummy made her look that much more beautiful.

Next to Tomoe…Kaoru felt like trash.

But the lifemate of the Prince treated her like a long lost family member. It was all too much for Kaoru. Giving up her past life as a nurse and teacher, coming here to find two more Carpathians…_royal_ Carpathians even. Suddenly having an extended family made her mind whirl. Kaoru gave her head a shake and sat down on one of the stone benches that dotted the garden. Tomoe turned from the roses and clasped her hands submissively in front of her.

"My dear Kaoru. Are you not happy?" Tomoes' voice was like rain that glittered in the moon light, like diamonds. Cool, beautiful…breathtaking.

Was she happy? Kaoru wasn't sure. "I…I don't know." She confessed and watched as Tomoe glided over and sat next to her on the bench. A soft, pale hand rested on her swollen belly.

"I hope my brat of a brother is treating you right." Tomoe said, her expressive eyes narrowing. "Just tell me and I'll bop him one up-side the head." She clenched her hand into a tiny fist.

"What?" Kaoru gasped, taking Tomoes' fist in her hands. Kaoru winced inwardly as she felt her rough, calloused hands scrape along the silky smoothness of Tomoes' skin. Years of swordsmanship had yet to vanish from her well worked hands. "No, no, Kenshin treats me fine. Better than fine, he treats me like a Queen." Kaoru babbled, not wanting to upset the expectant mother.

Tomoe melted into a smile and held Kaorus' hand. "Of course he is. He's Carpathian. Males can't help what they are. And to them, we are the most important thing in the world."

"Yes but doesn't the whole Beating-of-Chests and "I big strong man, you weak woman." thing ever get on your nerves?" The question hung in the silent air for a moment, and Kaoru thought Tomoe didn't understand, but a moment later the woman burst into peals of musical laughter.

"Oh my dear." She struggled between bouts of laughter. "Their just doing that to show off for you." Tomoe set both hands on her belly as she slowly got her laughter under control.

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What do you mean? Why would Kenshin want to show off to me?" He showed off to her often enough already without having to constantly remind her of his dominance.

Tomoe calmed, her face falling back into a gentle smile. "Males are always trying to show their mates how strong they are." When Kaoru gave her an even more bewildered look she went on. "They want us to feel safe, secure and happy. It's one less thing to worry about, trying to protect our own skin. Sure females can hold their own once they reach a certain age. But the males want to prove that they have everything under control. That they are strong enough to protect not only themselves, but their mates as well. And well, if you think about it, Kenshin has been without emotions for over a thousands years now. It is not easy to deal with the flood of feelings. He now knows anger, and jealousy, the fear of losing you by death or at the hand of another male."

"But what are we suppose to do? I feel useless when Kenshin is like that; it makes me feel like a child." Kaoru complained, feeling bad that she was whining so much.

"Well." Tomoe started, "As females, our job is to protect our mates."

"Protect?" Now Kaoru was even more confused.

"From the darkness. You see, Carpathians are never whole without a lifemate. The females, we are gentle, loving, the light. The males, are strong, dangerous, the darkness."

"But I can take care of myself." Kaoru argued. "I don't need Kenshin's protection all the time."

"Yes, that's true. Soon, as you get older, you will grow in strength. But when it comes right down to it…could you bring yourself to kill someone? Could you kill the humans who took you to Shishio? Could you kill Shishio?"

Kaoru sat for a moment in thought. Could she? She tried to picture herself in front of the men who had taken her and Yahiko. She pictured a sword in her hand, could she kill them like Kenshin had killed Chou? Could she kill them at all? Kaoru already knew the answer. No, no she couldn't, she wouldn't. It was against her nature. Even her style of swordsmanship that she taught herself and Yahiko was a style that protects, not kills. She didn't even use real swords with her style of fighting.

Tomoe must have read the answer in her eyes, for she whispered gently. "The men do what has to be done…we are there to heal their soul afterwards. Without us, the men will slowly lose their soul; turn too deeply into the darkness."

The pair fell silent. Well, Kenshin could take care of everything very well. But Kaoru sure didn't make things easy on him. And yet he was patient and loving and gentle with her, as much as she let him. Kaoru suddenly felt a wave of shame. There sat Tomoe, the very picture of what a lifemate should be. Kaoru had done nothing to help Kenshin heal his soul from the hundreds of years worth of vampire hunting he had to do. His soul was mangled, and Kaoru wasn't even trying to help him.

"I'm a dreadful lifemate." She whispered to herself, tears burning in her eyes. In an instant Kenshin was there, his mental touch caressing her, worried about her sudden emotional swing. But Kaoru silently assured him that she was fine and just needed a moment. She gently pushed Kenshin from her mind until he finally turned away and left her thoughts alone.

"Oh, no… no you're not." Tomoe scooted over on the stone bench and wrapped an arm around Kaoru. The pair fell into a hug. Kaoru bit her bottom lip to keep from sobbing. "You're not a dreadful lifemate. You just don't know, you don't understand. You weren't born into this life. This information is imprinted upon us from birth. It's in our blood. It's almost like an instinct to want to heal your lifemate. You weren't born with this. How could you possibly know what to do?"

The words soothed Kaoru like it was her own mothers' voice talking to her. Tomoe smelled of white plum, it was very calming to Kaoru. Yet she still wasn't convinced. "But…I d-didn't even try!" Kaoru wailed softly, her voice full of pain and humiliation.

"But why does that matter?" Tomoe asked quickly.

Why did it matter? Because Kenshin was trying so hard for her. Because….because.. "Because I love Kenshin, and he deserves better." There she said it. She loved Kenshin. As soon as she said the words, she knew it to be the most absolute truth.

Tomoe smiled as she hugged Kaoru to her. "That's all you need to do. Love him. And as long as you do, try, or not… you are healing Kenshin. Keeping him rooted to the light. Kenshin is very understanding. He knows you have no idea what to do. But I know he is refusing to teach you, wanting you to love him the way you want to love him. Not the way Carpathian females are expected to."

Kaoru sat up and with a quick swipe of her hand, removed the tears from her face and eyes. "Thank you Tomoe." She said simply, not knowing what else to say.

The woman smiled and set a hand on Kaorus' cheek. "Anything for my new sister."

* * *

A/n curious…how many (if any) of you guys picked up reading Feehan after finding this story? Are they as good as you hoped they were? I'm just curious is all :)

I hope to grab more reviews and you know the story. I've already started working on the second part, so no worries about this story not continuing when it is over. (I've also decided that I will make each part it's own story.) Next chapter Kaoru learns a bit about Kenshins' family and what happened to all the elder Carpathians.

Reviews are loved and thank you for reading :)


	15. A Bit of History

A/n 'ello everyone. :) it's spring break and I thought I better get this next chapter out before hand. So be happy! New chapter a whole week early :P Anyways, I want to thank my many reviewers. I'm always happy to hear from people who just found the story.

Anyways, not much in this chapter, more information about Kenshin and Carpathians in general. Next chapter is gonna be a doosy though mwhahah!but ya gotta get though this one first. Hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin or the work of Feehan.

* * *

I give this chapter a PG-13 rating.

* * *

Chapter 15

"Kenshin,….tell me about your parents." Kaoru curled closer to the heat of Kenshins' naked body. Hours had past from Kaours' revelation about her love for her lifemate. Tomoe had helped her see the error of her ways. That Kenshin couldn't help the way he was, that he was wounded and needed her to get better. Kaoru had selfishly only seen her own loss in this union and refused to see the massive gain she had received. She would make it up to Kenshin; treat him the way he should be treated. Like a lifemate, a protector and provider, a dangerous warrior, a gentle lover and as an equal.

"Oro?" Kenshin turned on his side and propped himself on his elbow so he could gaze down at her. His wild red hair was loose and it framed his face and cascaded down his shoulders and back. Kaoru absently reached out and started curling and uncurling a red lock between her fingers. "You want to know about my parents?"

Kaoru shrugged her shoulders. "I'm…curious." She whispered. "Meeting Tomoe and suddenly having a brother and sister-in-law got me thinking about family, my family and your family." She wanted to learn all she could about her lifemate. True all she had to do was enter his mind and read every thought and memory. But that made Kaoru uncomfortable. She didn't feel ready for that yet. It was far too…intimate for her at the moment.

"Well," Kenshin started. "My Parents are dead." He stated bluntly, but with no remorse. Kaoru blinked in surprise.

"Oh, my god Kenshin I'm sorry. Is talking about them painful? You don't have to bring up memories-" Kaoru was silenced by a fingertip resting on her lips.

"Hush Firecracker." Kenshin said softly as he gazed down at his lifemate. His finger tip traced the outline of Kaours' lips. "It happened long, long ago. The pain of it is long faded." He smiled as Kaours' lips parted under his tracing fingertip.

"What happened?" It was mighty hard to focus with Kenshin touching her like that. But the thought of him talking about his dead parents sobered her up.

Kenshin lifted his touch and relaxed back on the bed, cuddling up close to his female. "They died in the war between overly religious humans, most of them Turks, vampires and Carpathians. It happened over a thousand years ago. Witch hunts...vampire slayings, burning at the stake, ritual vampire killings…cutting off the head, stuffing the mouth with garlic, stakes through the heart. It was going on all over Romania and Europe in general. Carpathians got caught in the middle; thought to be Vampires and other things evil and unholy." Kenshin paused as Kaoru clutched to him tightly. She seemed grateful that he was sharing his life, yet she was hurting because of his lose. Oh how Kenshin loved her.

He set a kiss on her brow. "This is a long story." He warned.

"Like I don't have time to hear it." Kaoru tipped her head up and flashed him a grin. "I have eternity, remember?"

Kenshin smiled and sighed softly as he let the memories come to him. "The Prince at that time…Hikos' father; went to Romania to help our people. Hiko, my parents and I followed. As well as a great deal many Carpathians from around the world. Things wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for the Vampires making things difficult. They controlled dozens of humans, framed Carpathians and attacked us as fast as we could attack them. Many of us were killed by humans, mistaken for vampires and witches. Homes full of rounded up females and children were burned to the ground. The hope for the future went with them."

Kaoru was horrified. "Where were their lifemates?!"

"Many of the women were just fledglings, young. They didn't have lifemates yet. They were left behind to care for the children while the more powerful females helped." Kenshins' face suddenly fell into a painful look. "And yet, because of the loss of their children, many of the mothers were so distraught that their control and focus slipped. Many were killed by human vampire hunters. And when one lifemate dies…."

"The other soon follows." Kaoru finished for him.

"Yes. This all happened over a few decades, almost a full hundred years. We came smack in the middle of it. Hikos' father and Mother died in a battle with a band of master vampires. My father died in that battle too. Hiko became Prince, and our people urged him to flee to a safer place. My mother greeted the daylight a few days later, unable to bear the death of my father. Unable to be only half a soul and to be alone in her mind, even to raise her children. Her grief was just too much for her to bear. Hiko gathered many surviving children… Saonsuke…Tomoe and I and many others. And brought us back to Japan. Far, far away from any danger."

"Wait I thought it took many years before Hiko found Tomoe." Kaoru interrupted.

"It did." Kenshin fell back into the familiar smile Kaoru was use to. "You see lifemates can't find each other until they are of age. Tomoe was only three years old."

"Three years old!!!?" Kaoru sat up. Kenshin followed her.

"Yes, born in the motherland of Romania. She never let me live that fact down." He muttered.

"How old were you when you went to Romania?!"

"About Yahikos' age. When I left, I was around twenty."

"What!? And your family took you to a war?" What were they thinking? Kaoru didn't understand that at all. Why take a young child to a war torn area? And did that mean Kenshin was about a hundred years older than Tomoe. Given the circumstances, Kaoru wasn't that surprised at their difference in age.

Kenshin's eyes narrowed. "It's very hard for a Carpathian mother to leave her children. And impossible for lifemates to be separated. They had no choice, few could be trusted with the children at that time." he ended in a slight growl. Kaoru bit her tongue. "It was a mistake that many parents made." Kenshin admitted as he calmed. "Many children died because of that. Carpathian population hasn't recovered yet. Because of the war, many males were left without hope of a lifemate. The handful of females that survived already had lifemates or was quickly snatched up. So many Carpathians in one spot, it was easy for matches to be found. The rest of the females were only children. Even then, males outnumbered the females well over ten to one"

Kaoru was only now understanding why they were so desperate. Desperate for mates and children. Carpathians were dying out.

"Fleeing didn't sit well with Hiko. He felt a Prince should be with his people in their time of need. And they needed him. So, he went back to Romania and stayed there well after the killing had ended. Over five hundred years." Kenshin tip his head from side to side. "Mmm then he trekked the world for another couple hundred years. Visited many countries and saw many sites. Of course he hunted any Vampires he happened to find along the way. I kept my baby sister alive through sheer will. She was past most of the danger of infant death, but that didn't stop Aoshi and I from being worried. Sano had no clue, Sano was hardly older than Tomoe. And even though they were but babes, they knew what had happened to their parents," Kenshins' eyes fell downcast. "They knew." He whispered.

Kaoru offered her love to him, love that he accepted greedily when Kaoru hugged him tightly. The male held his mate tightly, afraid to let go as the memories flashed in his mind. Kaoru could see many of his memories. Screams and smoke and there was always a feeling of dread, a fear so strong she could taste it. They were all only children, helpless children, she thought.

"Tomoe was a handful." Kenshin returned to his story, pulling away from the comfort of his mates' soft body. He let a smile find his lips. "Tomoe is still a handful. I kept her alive on many mixtures of broth made from fruits and vegetables, healing herbs and blood."

Kaoru blinked. "But I thought you couldn't have anything other than blood?" She asked, remembering what that glass of water had done to her.

Kenshin smiled and set two fingers under her chin and lifted her angelic face up so he could give her a more proper kiss. "Carpathian children have a more complex digestive systems. If in a pinch, they can consume most anything a human can. But not meat…never meat. A Carpathian will never eat animal flesh."

"Why not? I would think that would give the most nutrition?" Kaoru asked, a bit confused. They would eat the blood of humans, but not the meat of animals?

"Carpathians have a great bond with the earth, fire, water and air. Animals are our great friends. And once you speak to an animal, it becomes hard, even morbid to then turn around and eat said animal. "Kenshin set his jaw in that familiar arrogant look. Kaoru set kisses along his face until the look melted away.

"I guess I see what you mean. Do you really talk to animals?" Kaoru's eyes lit up and a smile melted Kenshins' heart.

"I have only been able to communicate though feelings and needs with animals. Not really talk, but there are Carpathians out there that will hold long conversations with the bird that nests near their home; or the stray cat that they feed every night."

"Wow, wouldn't it be wonderful if I could talk to animals." Kaorus' eyes became even brighter if that was even possible. Kenshins' laugh was sin and it made Kaoru ache for him.

"Perhaps you will one day. Females have many powers, just like the males. Where the males are strong and powerful and combat ready, females are healing, more motherly, nurturing…mesmerizing…mmm beautiful." Kenshins' voice dropped an octave, a tone Kaoru only heard from him just before he was about to make love to her. She stopped him before he could dip his head and start kissing her.

"Kenshin," She protested, "You didn't finish, what happened with you and Tomoe, and Sano?"

"Kenshin shot her a look of mock annoyance before returning to the story. "As soon as Tomoe was old enough, I took her and Sano with me across Japan. We left our old home behind. It was depressing staying in the home of so many memories, memories of our parents. Even though Tomoe had never seen our parents in our home here in Japan, she felt their spirit everywhere. The death of them gave the girl nightmares, terrors so bad that she wouldn't ever sleep unless she was curled up with her big brother. And Carpathian children can be in the sunlight, no one knows how, but they can. So it wasn't hard for her to keep her threat of going out in the day when she very well knew I couldn't look after her. So I had to let her stay with me."

"Aww…sweet." Kaoru thought that was the sweetest thing. This broody warrior had such a soft side.

Kenshin scowled softly, "After a few hundred years, after we had healed from the deaths, we returned here. We remodeled the homes, making them our own, starting our own memories. Sano stayed with us most of the time before he branched out on his own, but he stays over here more than half the time anyways." Kenshin smiled. "The man loves companionship." Kenshin always had an underlying feeling that Sano was always afraid of losing the only people he felt were his family. Though now it must only be habit, or loyalty that brought Sano here time and time again. Kenshin sure did like his company though. He was like a brother to him. "Eventually Hiko made it back to Japan and after a few decades happen to run into Tomoe. And well, "Kenshin smiled. "You can guess what happened."

Kaoru smiled gently in return. "Does Hiko ever go back to Romania?"

"Yes." Kenshin dipped his head and started placing kisses along Kaoru's neck. He was already bored with this subject when a much more exciting subject was sprawled right next to him. "Every ten years or so Hiko will head over for a couple of years. But he hasn't traveled much recently. Tomoe took her miscarriages hard, and Hiko refuses to risk this pregnancy by traveling overseas."

"Poor Tomoe." Kaorus' eyes cast downward. "I hope everything goes right for her this time."

"Shh" Kenshin set a warm kiss on her forehead as he pulled her tightly against him and snuggled deeper under the covers. "Just pray." Kenshin said simply. "If this child is meant to be then it will be." He let his free hand roam the soft curves of her body and felt her responding to his touch. Yet Kenshin didn't pursue his beastly urgings. Dawn was already upon them and he could already tell that Kaoru was fighting to keep her eyes open.

"I'm glad you told me a bit about your past Kenshin." Kaoru yawned and nuzzled her head against the curve of Kenshins' shoulder. "Maybe we can share more about each other again soon." Her eyes fluttered close.

"Hai." Kenshin said softly, "we will do this again… and often." He smiled to himself as he felt Kaoru slip into deep sleep.

… . .

_Kaoru._

Kaoru stirred slightly in her sleep. What was that? Was it Kenshin? Why was he calling her? Was something wrong? The woman struggled to wake herself but the sun was at its zenith. Kaoru didn't have the strength to pull herself out of sleep. Something wasn't right, but Kaoru couldn't figure it out. Her mid was far too muddled in the daytime.

_Kaoru. _

This time there was a pause thick with anticipation.

_I said I would come back. _

Shishio! Kaoru panicked. He came back! Kaoru wanted to jump up and hide, to cling to Kenshin but she was unable to move a single finger, couldn't even open her eyes. The crushing weight of the sun held her down like a solid stone hand. The sound of the vampires' laughter filled the silence and Kaoru felt herself grow ill with fear.

In an instant she felt Kenshin in her mind. He was moving, shifting through her thoughts and memories and an instant later she could hear Shishio scream in pain and harsh curses flowed from him. Kenshin blocked him so he couldn't reach Kaoru and her lifemate flooded her body with warmth and a feeling of safety and love. Kaoru felt Kenshin slow her heart rate and breathing until she was calm enough to slip back into unconsciousness.

Kenshin curled around Kaoru protectively, tucking her sleeping body into the curve of his body. Damn that vampire! Tormenting his mate in her sleep. He never thought the vampire would be strong enough to have any sort of strength for this in the daytime. Shishio was truly a master vampire. Kenshin cursed himself for taking so long to detect Kaoru's distress. He dove into her mind and found the link that Shishio was using and used that path to attack the vampire. The warning wouldn't last long though; Shishio would return with his goal in sight. Kenshin knew vampires, knew how they worked and how they thought. Shishio wasn't going to give Kaoru up now that he knew he had a link to her. A bond.

Kenshin set his jaw tightly. The very thought of that undead thing having a bond with his pure innocent Kaoru, well it was enough to make him see red. The red-head kissed Kaoru on the temple and petted her hair before he bedded down again. He would have to talk to Aoshi and Hiko as soon as possible. But he didn't see any reason to bother them in the daytime. He had a strong enough block to hold Shishio at bay. He would wait until nightfall. Before returning to sleep, Kenshin scanned the house and his property just to be safe. Everything was normal; Yahiko was back in the dojo practicing as hard as ever. From his bed, Kenshin wove a few extra safeguards around his property, ones that would instantly wake him if anyone got too close.

… . .

Kenshin never said that becoming a Carpathian would mean she would wake starving for blood every night. Kaoru hadn't even opened her eyes yet, and already she could feel the now familiar pangs of hunger that seemed to radiate from every cell in her body. With a grumble Kaoru rolled over and ended up right in the arms on her lifemate. She didn't even have to open her eyes to know that he was going to fed her from himself.

'_You haven't fed yet Kenshin.'_ Kaoru protested. But Kenshin only hushed her and pressed her close to him until the call of her body took over and Kaoru blindly searched for a spot to bite. Her fangs lengthened and she scrapped them over his chest, not even breaking the skin. His reaction to her teasing was instant. Kaoru struggled to hide her amusement as Kenshin softly cursed her and worshiped her all in the same breath

"Firecracker, you drive this one insane. If you do not stop soon, I may very well retaliate." Kenshin grunted out though clenched teeth as he tried so very hard not to flip her over and take her.

'_Can't take a little teasing lifemate? I would have thought a man like you, who fights evil dead things and changes into animals, can take a bit of teasing from a woman.'_ Kaoru gloated as she teased further. Her tongue lapped at the scrapes her fangs had caused, healing them.

Kenshins' laugh was sin to Kaoru's ears and she bit down before he could cause any mischief. His laugh became strangled and he fell silent as she fed from him. His lifeblood restored Kaoru's energy and power, she felt herself become stronger, more alert. She pressed her soft body against his hard, rock solid body and the action was rewarded with a string of curses in many languages. Having taken enough to ease her pain, Kaoru sealed her bite and suddenly found herself flipped over onto her stomach. The movement was so fast and so startling, that Kaoru had the breath knocked out of her. Kenshin moved atop her, holding her to the bed and bent down, growling in her ear.

"I warned you, didn't I?" Kenshins' voice was tight with self control, deep with lust and heavy with some strange accent. When Kaoru tried to move she was punished with a nip on her shoulder. "Hold still little Firecracker, I'm holding on by a bare thread, snap it….and I'll lose myself."

Kaoru felt wicked, "Maybe that's what I want." She pushed her hips up against his.

"I haven't even fed, and yet you are demanding." Kenshin nipped at her shoulder again, sending bolts of pleasure through Kaoru. "Like a small child you are, selfish, innocent, unconditionally loving." There were no clothes to keep them apart and Kenshin slowly lowered himself, trailing kisses down Kaoru's back as he moved.

The girl whimpered, each kiss burned with such pleasure. Her restless body shifted but Kenshin held her down as he explored every inch of her back with his lips. His long hair tickled and caressed at her bare skin. "Kenshin." She begged, unable to take his teasing any longer.

"Yes Lifemate?" orange-yellow eyes burned behind the curtain of red hair. His voice dropped to a deep vibrating tone and his hands trailed and traced over every part of her body. Kaoru gave a frustrated growl and Kenshins' laugh was deep, rumbling. He flipped her over and caught her pouting lips with his. _'You want this don't you, lifemate?'_

'_Must you tease me so?' _Kaoru returned his kisses with such fervor the male felt himself slipping.

'_You started it, woman.'_ Kenshin let his hands roam, touching her in secret places that made Kaoru jump or whimper_. 'Now I end it. I shall love you till you beg for me to stop.' _A growl escaped the red-head.

'_Oh, I don't think I'll ever beg for that.' _Kaoru answered back, causing her mate to laugh out loud.

… . .

"So what was it all about?" Yahiko shoved another rice ball into his mouth, fitting almost half of it in before taking a bite. Kaoru sat at the table with Yahiko to keep him company. Kenshin had just left to feed.

"What?" the woman blinked and turned to the boy. "Oh, you mean the meeting last night with all the Carpathians?" Her mind was elsewhere, thinking back to the wonderfully wicked things Kenshin had done an hour ago as punishment for teasing him.

"Duh," Yahiko grunted around a mouth full of rice. He had decided that the direct approach was best for getting information out of Kaoru. No use beating around the bush.

Kaoru smiled slightly. "Just a bit of a get together with some of Kenshins' relatives. The men had some business to talk of so Kenshins' sister and I took a walk outside and got to know each other." She said with a deep sigh.

Yahiko looked at Kaoru out of the corner of his eyes. "You don't look good Kaoru. Didn't sleep well?"

Kaoru shrugged slightly. "I had some nightmares."

"Nightmares huh?" was all the boy said as he returned to him meal. His change in tone caught Kaoru's attention.

"Been having nightmares too, Yahiko?"

"What? Don't be stupid, of course not." The boy snapped

Kaoru knew instantly that Yahiko was lying to her. But why would he lie about having nightmares? Must be another one of those stupid male macho things again. "You know you can talk to me Yahiko." Her voice was soft and soothing, weaving around the boy like a mothers' hug.

"I don't see you talking about your nightmare." The boy grumbled, shoving his plate away.

Kaoru sighed and lowered her head to hide her eyes. "It was about Shishio, the vampire."

"Yeah." Yahiko said softly…. "Mine too." He clenched his hand into a fist.

Silently, Kaoru reached over and rested her hand over his fist.

… . .

Kenshin carefully set the man on the ground beside the first man he had fed from. He made sure no memory of his feeding remained before he left the pair. Both were family men, Kenshin assumed, from the slight sent of talcum powder and candy that they had on them. Both were hard working men, Kenshin had seem them walking home from work together for many, many nights. The red-head made sure to slip a nice amount of money into their jeans pocket. Nothing large enough to draw attention, but something that would help them get by. Kenshin knew how hard life was for them. He had seen their thoughts and worries. Satisfied that everything was well, he commanded the men to slowly come out of their daze. Kenshin vanished to a nearby corner of the road to make sure the pair made it too their feet. They did. Confused, they helped each other walk.

Kenshin melted back into the shadows of the two buildings he stood between. His face was set in a frighteningly, dangerously calm mask. He reached out across the miles, searching for Aoshi. Most every male Carpathian, and a few females, had a link to Aoshi. The Dark one had come to their rescue many times. And it was inevitable that they would be wounded enough to need an immediate transfusion of blood. Aoshi never hesitated in his duties. His blood was very powerful; its healing properties were amazing.

'_Aoshi' _Kenshin called out, half expecting to not get an answer but the Healers' voice returned loudly in his mind.

'_Yes Kenshin? How is Kaoru?' _

Got right to the point as always_. 'Well that's what I need to talk to you about. Shishio contacted Kaoru while she was sleeping.' _

There was a silence that stretched so long that Kenshin thought that Aoshi wasn't going to answer him_. 'Did you find where he is hiding?'_

Kenshin winced, feeling like a guilty child in front of his all-mighty father_ 'I was so angry when I found out that I attacked him though his link with Kaoru and blocked him before I could find out that information.' _Kenshin admitted, suddenly feeling like he failed his lifemate.

'_Understandable'_ Aoshi said. The man sighed mentally_, 'So the vampire has a link with Kaoru. Things could get a bit complicated.'_

'_I'm not going to let anything happen to my lifemate. Shishio will never get close to Kaoru ever again.' _

'_I trust that Kenshin Right now you need to watch over your mate and the child. Leave Shishio to me. I have much less to lose in this.' _

Kenshin sighed as Aoshi broke contact before he could say anything else. Aoshi did have something to lose if he lost a fight with Shishio… his life. Aoshi was closer to darkness than Kenshin ever thought possible.

'_Are you going to go after the human servants?'_ Aoshi inquired, surprising Kenshin, thinking the healer had left.

Kenshin was planning on visiting those men tonight. There was no way he was going to give those humans a chance to run. He was even more determined to find these men now that Shishio made himself known to Kaoru. _'Yes.'_ Kenshin said with all his being. Aoshi sent Kenshin images of the housing complex that the men lived as well as the number fifty-four. With the images memorized, Kenshin thanked Aoshi and concentrated on the transformation of his owl form. Once donned with feathers and a six foot wingspan, Kenshin took to the sky to confront the humans.

* * *

A/n Woot! Kenshins' gonna kick some human butt! Mwhaha! Please review! Remember the 30 review goal! Tee-hee. Anyways, feel free to ask any questions at all. I will answer. In the next chapter we see Kenshin confront the men and Shishio has a trick up his sleeve! 


	16. The Trap is Sprung

A/N 'ello everyone! I'm so happy to see all the new reviewers and all. And we were only 3 reviews short of the goal. That's still pretty good :). Guess what? I've just finished the last chapter of this story! And so to celebrate the end of this story, and my starting of the second part…I've updated this story 4 days earlier :P. I've started work on the second part already, but now I can really dive into it. so by the time this one is finished, the next part will be ready to go right away. Oh and just to stem your curiosity, (incase you haven't already read it in my profile)…Sanos' story is next. But don't worry, we still get to follow Kenshin and Kaoru.

Okay enough chatter. On to the story!

* * *

I give this story a R rating for violence.

Disclaimer, I don't own Kenshin or the work of Ms. Feehan

* * *

Chapter 16

Kenshin had every intention of finding those men right away; however, a voice in his head startled him so badly, he almost fell from the sky.

'_Kenshin,_' it was the Prince. _'Aoshi told me you were off to find the humans who kidnapped Kaoru. I'm coming with you.'_

A moment later Kenshin was joined by an equally large owl. _'Why?'_ Kenshin asked simply.

'_This is your job; however, I do wish to be of some assistance. Also, the information we gather could prove to be very useful. As prince, I need to keep my foot in the water, so to speak. I've been hovering over Tomoe and neglecting my duties far too much.' _

Kenshin smiled mentally. _'Your first duty is to Tomoe. Everyone knows that. And no one expects anything different from you._' Kenshin shifted his wings slightly, turning him to the left, Hiko followed suit. _'Still, I am thankful for your help. I didn't want Aoshi to come. His soul is already far too black to keep killing.' _

'_I fear there may be many more killings before Aoshi finds his lifemate. We can only hope there is one out there for him, and pray that he has enough willpower and honor to alert us when the time comes that we should destroy him if that lifemate is not found in time' _

Kenshin didn't worry about that. Aoshis' will was stronger than iron. Aoshi would most likely kill himself than to place the burden on his friends. _'What does Tomoe think of you coming with me?' _Kenshin deliberately changed subject.

'_She's not very happy. She never liked me going off on these sort of things. But she is kept calm in the fact that we are just dealing with human servants. I don't want her to stress so much at my cutting her off from our bond together temporarily.'_ Why subject the kind-hearted women to the horrors of hunting the hunter, of the often times messy and horrible deaths of vampires? It was worth the time spent cut off from one's lifemate to spare them. _'How is Kaoru taking this?'_ Hiko asked, curious, but respectfully so.

'_In truth, she doesn't know what I'm doing, that she does not.' _Kenshin's sharp owl eyes caught sight of the small complex of cookie-cutter style houses and dipped low, searching for an out-of-the-way spot to land.

'_How is that possible?'_ Hiko asked, surprise in his voice.

'_Well,'_ Kenshin would have been a bit uncomfortable sharing such intimate details about his lifemate with another Carpathians, but Hiko was the Prince and Kenshin respected no one more. _'Kaoru has refused to mind merge with me. I merge with her, and she talks to me on our private path. But she has yet to really dive inside my mind. To feel what I feel, see what I see, know my every memory and thought. So, she doesn't have the slightest clue what I'm up to. But I am certain she will start to feel the stress of our separation soon.'_ Kenshin landed in the ally-way behind the walled off complex. He shifted back to Carpathian form as soon as his talons touched the dirt and gravel path.

'_Hmm'_ Was all the prince said as he landed and transformed as well. The mood shifted, the seriousness of what they were about to do weighed on the males and they shifted from concerned relatives to wary hunters. _'I'm staying hhere; you do this on your own Shinta.'_ The prince turned and locked eyes with the shorter male_. 'Think rationally, my idiot brother-in-law. Don't mess this up.'_

Kenshin scoffed_. 'Like I would. These men don't deserve to live. They get pleasure in the pain of others. They laid hands on my lifemate and delivered her to Shishio.' _Kenshin rested his hand on his sword, trying to calm himself down_. 'I will get as much information from them as I possibly can.'_

Hiko only nodded. _'Call me should you need to._' The prince watched the red-head nod slightly and leap over the eight foot wall with little effort. Hiko turned his back to the wall and melted into the shadows of a nearby tree. Something was nagging the prince. His superior powers and instinct told him that something just wasn't right. But Hell if Hiko knew what that was. Instantly he touched the mind of his mate. Tomoe was resting in bed, book in hand. She looked up upon feeling her mate contact her. She was fine, whatever it was had nothing to do with Tomoe. He reassured his mate and cut off their connection once again.

'_Sanosuke._' Hiko called out, his voice deep with seriousness.

… . .

Matt black metal numbers graced the front of each identical home. Kenshin bolted down the streets with his god-like speed. He was moving much too fast for anyone who happened to be looking outside to see him. It took him two minutes to find the numbers fifty-four. Kenshin halted in front of the house, his yellow eyes narrowed dangerously. The car he leaned up against matched the car that he saw in Kaoru's memories, the car she and Yahiko were kidnapped in. The front yard, though small, was unkempt compared to the green lush yards of the neighbors. Everything about the house was cold and foreboding, practically screaming "Say away from here!" Kenshin set his teeth in anger as he pushed off from the car and stalked to the side of the house. His steps were silent, movements, fluid. He was on the hunt, like a large predator.

The shadows offered him great cover as he stepped up to a window. Inside he saw a living room and kitchen with the bare necessities for comfortable living. Bare light bulbs lit the rooms with harsh unforgiving light and inside Kenshin could see one of the three men lounged on a half collapsed sofa watching a TV that sat on the floor. Kenshin's body shimmered and he faded away into a wisp of glittering deep pink mist. Kenshin hovered by the window, and then converged upon it, finding little cracks around the window to push every particle of himself into the home.

Slowly, the mist gathered together and turned solid. Kenshin was inside. The place held the stench of mold and unwashed bodies. Tuning down his sense of smell, Kenshin all but floated from the kitchen to the living room. Still the human did not see him, Kenshin veiled himself. No mortal would see him until he wanted. It was not until Kenshin stood smack in front of the male did he drop his cover.

… . .

"Yahiko, watch your blind spot." Kaoru scolded, having hit Yahiko for the third time across his back with her wooden sword.

"You wouldn't be cheating by using your new powers are ya Ugly?!" Yahiko shot back as he rubbed the sting away and returned back into stance. Kaoru regarded the boy with fearless eyes half full of amusement. She pushed her damp hair from her face and returned back into stance as well.

"No Yahiko, I am not cheating. You have just fallen out of practice." Kaoru lunged.

Yahiko was able to block her attack and they circled each other like a pair of fighting chickens. "And who's fault is that? I tried my best with all the attention you've been giving me." Yahiko saw by the startled hurt in her eyes that he had hit a soft spot and he dug the knife in further. "I'm surprised I've learned anything new ever since you got that job at the hospital." The boy made a flying leap but Kaoru was already gone before he started falling back down to earth. It was all the boy could do to turn as soon as his socked feet hit the floor. But Kaoru already had her wooden sword in his face. She had been able to predict his actions and moved faster than he had ever seen her move before.

It was true, Kaoru had been neglecting Yahiko. But she had needed the extra money the hospital would give here to help keep the dojo up and running. Kaoru lowered her wooden sword slightly and her eyes went down cast.

"Hey now, Kid. She tried her best."

Student and teacher both turned their heads to find Sanosuke standing in the dojo room doorway, leaning against the frame. His arms were crossed in front of his chest and he wore the same cheerful smile. But Kaoru could read the wary look in his eyes. "Sano!" Kaoru dropped her stance and stepped up to the man. "Kenshin isn't here right now."

"I know, I'm just here to hang out." Sanosuke said with a careless shrug of his shoulders. Kaoru knew that was a lie. But whatever it was Sano was keeping hush, hush about, was obviously something he didn't want to talk about. Least in front of Yahiko.

"Aw, forget this, I'm going to bed, Ugly." He returned his bokken to the rack on the wall and stalked past Sanosuke. "Night, you." he called as he disappeared up the stairs. Sano turned and raised an eyebrow at Kaoru in question.

Kaoru sighed and also returned her wooden sword to the rack she got it from. "Don't worry about him. He's in one of his moods. The spar didn't go so well for him." It might not have been fair. Perhaps she had used her new powers without even thinking about it.

"He'll come around." Sano said in a tome that dismissed the subject of Yahiko. The man turned and led the way down the hall to the main living room, hands shoved deep in his pockets. There was so much tension radiating from Sano that Kaoru could almost see his body fighting to relax. "Do you know where Kenshin is?" He suddenly asked.

Fear lanced though Kaoru for a heart wrenching moment. "Why? Has something happened?" Instantly she reached out for him, but she couldn't reach far. Perhaps it was from lack of practice.

Sano shook his head. "No, nothing's happened yet. But something will, but trust me, Kenshin will be at the better end of it." He reached out to comfort Kaoru but the woman took a step back, instinct telling her to keep out of reach of the other male. Sano retreated, moving instead to sit in one of the overstuffed winged back chairs.

Kaoru paced, unable to sit down. "What's going on Sano?" her fingers found a fold of fabric at her gi and started twisting it.

Sano looked up at Kaoru though his bangs. "He went after the humans who kidnapped you." He stated flatly.

Kaoru froze, the twist of fabric forgotten. "What?" Kaoru fell to her knees in front of Sano. "Please Sanosuke, tell me if anything bad is happening. Why won't Kenshin talk to me, I've been trying to reach him." Panic made her voice tight. What was going on? Why didn't Kenshin tell her that he was going after those men? Why didn't he tell her he knew where to find them? Images of Kenshin laying o the ground, hurt and dying flashed before he eyes.

"Kaoru!" Sano shouted in surprise, leaping from the chair and bringing Kaoru up to her feet and quickly deposited her in his seat. The tall Carpathian sighed and ran a hand though his hair and then over his face, unsure if he should speak any more than he already had. "Kenshin….might be in a position where he could be in some danger." He held up a hand When Kaoru was about to shout in fear. "So he has blocked the connection between you to so he has little distraction. Also,…so you can't see what he is doing…in case it gets…unpleasant."

"I didn't know I could do that." Kaoru whispered. Her heart hammered away almost painfully, her blue eyes staring straight ahead. Could she really see out of his eyes if she wanted to?

Sano cleared his throat. "You two are now one soul, you could see though his eyes if you merged your mind with his." Sano didn't mean to sound accusing, but he couldn't censor himself. Kenshin was his best friend, Hell he was like his brother.

Kaoru sat back in the chair, hands in her lap, head bowed forward. Kenshin had been telling her this the whole time. But she flatly refused, only because she didn't want to obey him. Now he could be in danger and she didn't even know a thing about it. What else could she do if she had only listened? How much trouble and stress had she caused Kenshin? How was he now? Kaoru was hit with a sudden panic. Thoughts of him being attacked or laying somewhere dead came to her mind again. She knew it was ridiculous to think such thoughts, but she couldn't help it. An overwhelming feeling of helplessness washed over her and she dissolved into tears. Sano kneeled down by the chair.

"Don't worry Kaoru. Kenshin is fine. The prince is with him, nothing bad is going to happen." The sound of her soft weeping touched Sano deeply. Moving him in places he long thought dead.

"I can't help it." She tried in vain to rub the blood tainted tears from her eyes; but they returned as fast as she could wipe them away. "I just feel so alone, afraid. I want to go to him." She would have stood from the chair, but Sano predicted her actions and set an iron strong hand on her shoulder.

"No Kaoru, you must stay put." The man broke into a true smile that lit his eyes. "Kenshin can take care of himself. You are only feeling the effects of being separated. The link between you two is shut. What you are feeling is normal." He could feel the girl trembling under his touch and Sano swore silently. He wanted to comfort the female but he didn't know how, and he was afraid to push any boundaries Kenshin might have with his lifemate.

"Why are you here?" Kaoru suddenly asked. Her red puffy eyes locked onto Sano's deep brown ones. Willing him to tell her. Kaoru wasn't sure, but she had a feeling that something wasn't right.

Sano sighed. "Hiko contacted me not long ago."

… . .

Kenshin had the two men at sword point. His katana gleamed almost sadistically under the harsh light of the naked light bulbs. The two men stood before him. Well, one man stood, the second had fallen to his knees in fear. Kenshin stood as still as a mountain, not a single hair on his body moved, not a rustle of clothing. His eyes glowed golden amber so brightly that they almost gave off a light of their own. The human men trembled so violently, it was a wonder that the one standing was able to stand at all.

"You have two options." Kenshin stated. His voice was that of darkness, nightmares, even more terrifying than a vampire; and yet it was calm, emotionless, and cold. The men jerked as if he had struck them. "Tell me where Shishio is, or I take the information by force."

The man on his knees looked up at Kenshin. But when Kenshin shifted his glowing eyes down at man he had to look away. "S-seems no matter what y-you'll get the information."

"What difference does it make if we tell you or you just rape our minds for what you want to know." The other snapped, a bit more brave than his partner.

Kenshin snarled, snapping his sharp teeth together. The men flinched. "If you tell me, I will force you to turn yourselves in to authorities to have justice served for all the crimes I know you are wanted for. But if you force me to take the information….then I will just kill you when I am done with you."

"You wouldn't." The braver man on his feet countered, though he sounded like an unsure little boy. "Shishio often said your kind were good-doers, why kill in cold blood now?"

In a shift of muscle, Kenshin turned his whole body to the man. The blade kept pointed at the man on his knees. "I've killed my fair share of humans." Kenshin growled, sounding more animal than man with each passing word. "The moment you touched my woman…you forfeited your life to me." Kenshin flicked his wrist, light flashed on his Katana. The two men yelped in surprise as a trail of blood oozed from the slice they both had on their left cheek. "NOW TALK!" Kenshin roared, power surging out of him and flowed throughout the room.

Both men whimpered in fear, the one standing fell to his knees with the other. An all too familiar scent of urine assaulted Kenshin. The red-head was almost pleased. The men, so frightened, had wet themselves.

"We don't know where Shishio is!" the braver one shouted up at Kenshin while his partner wept in fear of his life by his side. "Honestly. He only speaks to McKay; we only do as we're told. I swear it."

McKay? Kenshin paused before erupting into a flood of swearing. The men ducked lower, touching their foreheads to the ground. Kenshin had forgotten all about McKay, the leader. How in the world did he slip the Carpathians' mind? Kenshin lunged for the braver of the men, grabbing him by his hair and pulling him up to his feet. "Tell me where he is!"

"I don't know." The man cried truthfully.

Suddenly Sanos' voice screamed to the front of his mind _'Kenshin!' _

… . .

Kaoru was pushed to the ground, she landed hard but was unharmed. Instantly she sat up and screamed as Sano's body jerked from the impact of a bullet. Blood quickly seeped through the white undershirt Sano wore, causing Kaoru to panic even more. Outside more shots were being fired. The extreme sound deafened Kaoru and disoriented her. The front window shattered and hundreds of shards rained down all over the living room. Sano acted quickly. He gathered Kaoru up in his arms, sending a call out to warn Kenshin as he darted through the maze of rooms.

"No! I need to get Yahiko!" Kaoru cried; her mind searched frantically for Kenshin. Kenshin returned their link and reached out to her.

'_Kaoru? Are you hurt?!'_ his voice strained with fear was frightening Kaoru even more. Kenshin quickly censored his tone. _'Don't worry Firecracker, I'm coming, just do as Sano tells you.' _

Sano halted so fast Kaoru thought momentum would rip her from his arms, but he held tight. Kaoru yelped as more bullets were fired and the dinning room windows shattered. Sano issued a nasty rumbling growl, his body tensed, and power made his muscles ripple with strength. The man put Kaoru down and shoved her behind him. The sound of footsteps on glass brought her eyes to the intruder.

McKay. The large red-headed man who had kidnapped her. Weapons and ammunition of all kinds were draped over his body; it looked almost too much for the human to carry. His steps were jerky, eyes glassy and unfocused. "How did he get past the safeguards?" Kaoru whispered. Sano crouched down, arms away from his body in an attack stance. Blood dripped from the saturated undershirt, dotting the white floor. Sano balled his hands into fists.

"I don't know, but enough of this standing around." Sano snarled as he lunged for McKay. With a shout Sano swung, nailing the human with a right punch that would have easily knocked him unconscious. But it didn't. McKay hardly even stumbled. He turned and grinned at Sano. Sano's eyes grew wide with surprise and he fell out of stance as he took a half step back. "What the Hell?"

Glass shattered above them. Both Carpathians looked up. "Yahiko! Someone is upstairs!" Kaoru shouted. And it wasn't Kenshin, he was still far away. Sano returned his gaze to McKay and gasped as the human swung a shotgun from behind him. "Sano!" Kaoru cried a moment before the human fired. She shut her eyes, not wanting to see Kenshin's best friend get shot, but she quickly snapped them back open. Sano didn't fall back like she thought he would. Instead, he only jerked and took a single step back to balance himself. His middle was a gushing wound.

Sano knew that if he didn't stop his heart he was going to bleed to death. But there was no way he was going to leave Kaoru with no protection. With a leopard-like scream, Sano tackled the human, grabbed him by the head and wrenched it in the other direction. Bones snapped and the man went down in a heap of weapons. Sano didn't understand how the human made it into the house or how his punch didn't do a thing, but he would worry about such things later. The Carpathian took a few steps away from the human and collapsed on the kitchen floor at Kaorus' feet.

"Sanaosuke!" Kaoru fell to her knees, ripping off her gi. She pressed the fabric to the bloody wound to try and stop the bleeding. But he was bleeding at an extraordinary rate and the gi was soaked in seconds. Kaoru was torn, stay and help Sano, or go upstairs and see if Yahiko was okay.

"Kaoru." Sano grunted, watching as the shaking pale woman turned her eyes to him. "I need to stop my heart to stay alive." He said calmly. "Earth. I need the healing earth." His head fell back against the floor and he closed his eyes. "And Aoshi." He added before he became deathly still. Kaoru watched in amazement as the man stopped breathing and his skin turned a grey pale, color. He looked to be dead.

"Sano," Kaoru whimpered, petting his hair away from his face. She had to do something. Where the Hell was Kenshin? Why wasn't he talking to her now? Where was the person who broke the window upstairs? What was she suppose to do? Sano was in the most desperate situation she had to help him right now. Kaoru jumped to her feet and ran though the house; not caring if the shattered glass cut into her sock covered feet. The pain was nothing to her; Sano was going to die if she didn't do something. Kaoru wiped her hands clean of blood on the white cotton bindings that were wrapped around her middle and up over her breasts. Somehow in all the panic and confusion Kaoru made it back to the underground lair.

She busted though the door, sending it swinging on its hinges to hit the wall. She fell to her knees again and started digging at the loosely packed stones that lined the ground. They were big and heavy and for the most part were pressed deep into the earth. Kaoru dug her fingers in as deep as she could get them, ripping stone after stone from the ground, tearing off many fingernails as she did so. Finally she had a bare spot large enough for her to dig up the dirt. Kaoru reached over and pulled the sheet off of Kenshins' bed and laid it out next to her. Frantically, she used her hands to scoop up the dark, rich earth and pilled it on the sheet. She dug hard and fast to loosen the hard packed earth. Her head pounded with a painful headache, apparently from being so close to the loud gunshots.

When she was sure she had enough, she gathered the sheet into a bundle and bolted back up into the house. Sano looked dead; by all means he should be dead. Kaoru fell to her knees next to the man and quickly started pushing the soil into the ghastly wounds. _'Kenshin! What do I do?'_ She cried out to herself.

'_Mix the soil with your saliva then pack it in the wound!_' Kenshin shouted back.

Kaoru jumped at the sound of his voice. His sheer terror flooded her and she could hardly work because she trembled so hard. Kenshin quickly smothered his fear, hiding it from her. _'Where the Hell are you?_' Kaoru shoved a handful of soil in her mouth, turning it into a mud-like paste with her spit. She spat the mixture in her hand and packed it into the deep gunshot wound. "This goes against everything I was ever taught." She muttered to herself. The people at the hospital would think she was mental if they saw her now.

"I'm right here." Kenshin suddenly appeared right beside her. Kaoru gave a shout of surprise but Kenshin ignored her as he continued where she left off. Together they packed as much earth into Sano as they could. "Don't ever do that to me again Kaoru Kamiya!" Kenshin snarled at her, his anger poured over her.

"Do what?" Kaoru cried almost hysterically as Kenshin flicked a hand and Sano rose into the air and hovered about five feet up. The red-head then guided his wounded friend through the house and into his underground lair. Kaoru followed close behind.

"You shut your mind completely. I didn't know if you lived or died." Kenshin's utter terror was gone, replaced by burning anger that threatened Kaoru. If Kaoru had died, no Carpathian or human would have been safe from his wrath.

"I didn't mean to." The woman protested, watching Kenshin enter the room and stand over the small hole she had dug for the soil. Kenshin merely glanced down at the hole and the ground seemed to heave upward in a roar of stone and earth. A grave-size hole about seven feet deep was opened before them and Kenshin slowly lowered Sano down into it.

"Sleep the healing sleep of our people Sano." Kenshin said softly. "You will be protected while you recover." Once Sano was settled, the pile of soil cascaded back into the ground, like a waterfall of dirt. The stones set themselves back into place, and the ground looked as if nothing had happened to it for hundreds of years. Kaoru wouldn't have even known Sano was in a grave there if she had not seen him being placed there with her own eyes. An unbearable silence hung in the air. A silence filled with nothing but the sound of Kaoru's labored breathing and the pounding of two hearts that beat as one.

"Oh my god." Kaoru turned on her heel and bolted back up to the house "Yahiko!" But Kenshin flew past her in a blur of motion. She finally caught up to him on the second floor of the house where he stopped in the center of the hallway. Kaoru stood next to Kenshin and saw a large painting on the floor. Its glass frame had shattered. Glass was everywhere. Where the painting had been hanging, Kaoru saw a small hole in the wall and a ladder leading down.

"Yahiko is in the Panic Room." Kenshin simply said as he turned and bolted back down the stairs. Kaoru struggled to keep up with him.

"Panic room?" She didn't know there was a panic room in the house. A familiar tingling feeling washed over Kaoru and she found herself standing next to Kenshin in the basement. "Kenshin," Kaoru stumbled. Kenshin reached out and clamped a hand around her arm above the elbow to hold her steady. "Please warn me when you're going to do that."

But Kenshin didn't seem to hear her. He let her go and walked to the large metal door that separated the basement from the panic room. "Yahiko?" Kenshin called out loud, knowing the boy would hear him inside. He didn't want to frighten the boy by just barging inside. "Yahiko, it's Kenshin. Everything is alright now. I'm going to open the door."

Kaorus' scared eyes darted about the basement. It was filled with old boxes, looking like any other basement. A ladder hung almost right in the open, the ladder that Yahiko took to get to the basement. How did he know about all of this? Instinctively, Kaoru reached into Kenshins' mind and found the answer. He had planted the information in Yahiko's mind. Kaoru was in and out of Kenshin's mind so fast; she thought perhaps he wouldn't have noticed she was there. But Kenshin was in a state of hyper awareness and he felt Kaoru like a silk caress. He would have been elated that she was starting to merge her mind with his. But at the moment Kenshin was far too livid, and afraid for such tender feelings.

Kenshins' fingers danced over the number pad and the large metal door popped open. It didn't even open all the way before the boy flew out of the room and nearly tackled Kenshin.

"Is everything alright? What happened? Was anyone hurt? Who were they?" Questions flew out of him so fast, nether Kaoru nor Kenshin could process them. "I didn't want to go in there!" Yahiko finally cried out. He pulled away from Kenshin and looked desperately to Kaoru. "I wanted to stay and protect you Kaoru. I wasn't a coward. I wasn't!" The boy nearly trembled with fear and anger at himself.

"Yahiko," Kaoru started, but Kenshin set a hand on the boys' shoulder and interrupted.

"I planted the command in your mind to come here at the first sign of trouble. An attack would only be much more difficult if we had to worry about everyone." It was harsh, but the truth.

"What!?" Yahiko jumped away, knocking Kenshins' hand from his shoulder. "I'm not helpless! Kaoru?!" he turned to his teacher, looking for support.

At any other time, Kaoru would have been upset that Kenshin took away Yahikos' free will. But this was serious, Yahiko might have died in all that gun fire. Kaoru was glad Yahiko went straight for safety.

"You're not a coward Yahiko." Kaoru took a step closer to the boy. "But Kenshin was right in this."

"No!" the boy shouted.

"Sano was hurt, near death…" Kaoru quickly added. The news silenced Yahiko. "He was trying to protect me. I couldn't even protect myself from the person who attacked us. Think about it Yahiko, if I couldn't save myself…" she let Yahiko finish. The boy set his jaw and clenched his hands into fists, eyes lowered. But after a moment he took a deep breath and calmed down.

"Is Sano going to be okay?" he asked softly.

"Sanosuke, has taken much worse, Yahiko." Kenshin said softly. "He'll be just fine, that he will." Kenshin set a hand on the boys' head. "Now change out of those dusty pajamas and head back to bed."

"Aww…" Yahiko started. But a look from Kenshin cut off any additionally argument. "All right, all right…gezz." The boy grumbled as he headed back up the stairs. He paused right next to Kaoru and without even looking up at her, wrapped one arm around her middle and pulled her into an awkward hug. "I'm glad you weren't hurt Ugly." The boy muttered.

Kaoru felt tears in her eyes as she hugged the boy back. "I'm glad you weren't hurt either, Brat."

* * *

Gah! Does Kenshin seem a little….pissed off to you? I am so not jealous of Kaoru right now…. Okay yes I am LOL Poor Sano... the guy didn't have a chance to doge a shot like that. Cocky Carpathians .Jk Jk don't freak out now okay? Everything will be revealed in the next chapter. Thank you fore reading! And please review!

See that button right there… yeah just there… click it and review:)


	17. Recovering

A/n WOW! I'm sooo sorry it took me this long to get this chapter up. My brothers came to visit for their two week spring break and I haven't been able to get on the computer at all. Needless to say I didn't get any writing done…drat. Anyways, today is the first day the computer is free and the first thing I'm doing is updating the story :) hehe.

I want to thank all my wonderful reviewers. Gah we were one review away from reaching goal. Alas. Lol Anyway, I'll shut up now because I know ya'll want to get to the story.

* * *

Disclaimer, I don't own Kenshin or the work of Feehan.

I give this chapter a R rating.

* * *

Kaoru waited until Yahiko shut the basement door before she turned back to Kenshin. The Carpathian stood stone still. His head was lowered, hair hiding much of his face. Kaoru felt a mix of emotion boiling just under the surface. She waited, silently, feeling guilty for everything.

"You're not guilty of anything Lifemate." Kenshin said gently. "Don't ever think any of this was your fault." Kenshin added in a more forceful tone. Kenshin lifted his head, catching Kaoru's gaze and holding it. For the first time Kaoru saw raw fear in Kenshins' eyes.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru whimpered. She had never seen Kenshin like this. It scared her. Kenshin nearly fell forward, grabbing Kaoru and crushing her against him.

"I never thought that turning you would bring you so close to so much danger." Kenshin muttered into her hair as he nuzzled her head. He wanted to feel her, had to feel her. He ran his hand over her, searching for any wounds, any little scratch. The male swore softly when he found the deep slices on her feet from running though the glass. Kenshin grasped one foot at a time, letting his healing power flow from his hands into her wounds.

"It isn't your fault either Kenshin." Kaoru stated softly as Kenshin stood beside her again. She wrapped her arms around him, needing to feel him, to know he was real.

"Yes it is. It's my duty to protect you. And I failed you." Kenshin rested his chin on the top of Kaorus' head. "Forgive me." His voice broke.

"Kenshin." Kaoru didn't want Kenshin to think this was all his fault. He did all that he could to keep her safe. He couldn't possibly have known this was going to happen. "Kenshin, you had safeguards all over the house. You believed I was safe here."

"I shouldn't have taken those safeguards for granted Kaoru. I should have made sure they were strong."

"But they were. McKay is connected to Shishio somehow, that Vampire is behind all of this, I know he is." Kaoru argued.

"She is right Kenshin." A third voice came from the basement stairs. Kenshin didn't have to look to see who it was, but Kaoru turned her head.

"Aoshi!" Thank god. He was the healer, Sano could get better now. "Sanosuke's hurt." Kaoru started, but the darker Carpathian lifted his hand to stop her.

"I already know, Hiko informed me of what has happened." Molten black eyes turned to Kenshin. "Shishio is on the move again."

Kenshin scoffed, still refusing to let Kaoru out of his arms. "Figures. He knows that we've figured out what he's up to. He won't stay in one spot for long."

Aoshi agreed then turned to head back up the stairs. "Follow me, there is something I want you to look at." He said calmly as he made his way up the steps. Kenshin sighed but followed the more powerful Carpathian, taking Kaoru by the hand and leading her behind him. Aoshi lead them back into the kitchen, where Kaoru saw the most horrific thing she could ever imagine.

McKay was moving! Though his neck was broken, the man struggled in a pool of his own blood that oozed from his mouth, nose and eyes. He looked up at Kaoru with bland lifeless eyes and he was actually able to get one foot under him. Aoshi composedly kicked the leg out from under McKay, sending the man sprawling back into the pool of blood. McKay gave an inhuman cry that gurgled deep in his throat sending more blood gushing from his mouth.

Kaoru felt bile rise up her throat and she thought she was going to get sick. But Kenshin was already in her mind, commanding her body to keep from retching. "How is this p-possible." Kaoru muttered, pressing up against Kenshin's back, hiding her face in his mass of hair, not wanting to see the horrible sight anymore.

"McKay was already dead when he attacked." Aoshi spoke as if he saw such sights everyday. He kept his hands in the pockets of his trench coat and set a foot on the center of McKays' back, holding him down. "A mindless puppet for Shishio to use to do his dirty work. In essence, a ghoul."

"But that doesn't explain how he was able to get past my safeguards." Kenshin reached back blindly and held Kaoru's hand as she continued to hide behind him.

Aoshi paused, standing as still as a marble statue. His beautiful face gave nothing away to Kenshin. "Kaoru." Aoshi finally said. "Shishio has a link with Kaoru, and thus, has a link with you." he paused for a moment and quickly added before Kenshin could speak. "Shishio used Kaoru as a bridge to you Kenshin. Kaoru knows all the safeguards you set here, even if she doesn't understand them. Shishio merely took the information and used it to his advantage. He was able to unweave enough of the spells to allow his puppet in."

It was all her fault! Kaoru felt a cry rise up in her throat but Kenshin whirled around and grabbed Kaoru, crushing her to his body.

"No! Kaoru, listen to me; it is not your fault. Shishio is a monster, pure evil, and he will stoop to anything to get what he wants." Kenshin acted quickly as he felt Kaoru dissolve into tears. He lifted his mate into his arms and carried her out of the kitchen and away from the nightmarish sight.

Aoshi waited until they were headed down to the lair before he turned his emotionless eyes to the thing he held down. With a single curse, the ghoul burst into burning embers that quickly consumed him and his blood on the ground. A few more words flowed from the Healer and the room was swathed in power. Everything that was damaged and dirty was gone. The house looked as if none of this had ever happened. Satisfied, Aoshi followed the couple to the lair. The female was fine, mentally she needed comfort, but that was something only her lifemate could give. Aoshi was curious about Sanosuke.

… …

Kenshin sat on the bed with Kaoru in his lap. She cried on his shoulder as he tried almost in vain to soothe her. But once Aoshi stepped in the room and his ki filled every corner, Kaoru calmed and peeked over at him from her mess of ebony hair.

Aoshi, strangely enough, looked slightly uncomfortable standing there. "How is Sanosuke?"

"His wounds are not serious." Kenshin ignored the startled look Kaoru gave him. "We packed his wounds with earth and I put him to ground."

"And when do you suppose we should wake him?" Aoshi asked with his sinful sounding voice.

Kenshin started growing edgy with the stronger male in his lair with Kaoru. But he stomped it down, knowing now was not the time. "Two days, perhaps three. He will be ravenous when he wakes."

"I'll be here to assist in feeding him." Aoshi interrupted smoothly. His tone stated that his word was law and there was no point in arguing with him. "I suggest you and your lifemate go to ground as well." Much had happened to the pair, the earth would do good to soothe them.

"Wait! You mean get put in the ground? Like Sanosuke? Buried?" Kaoru pushed her hair out of her face. "But I won't be able to breath down there." Kaoru felt panic. She wasn't hurt; she didn't have to go under the dirt. What if something went wrong and she died, buried alive. She could already feel the earth caving in on her, shrouding her in darkness, cutting off her air.

"Things are dangerous right now." Aoshi started, ignoring the warning look Kenshin shot at him. "Shishio can reach you with ease, Kenshin desperately needs the healing soil to renew his full strength, and while you sleep the sleep of humans you put both of you at risk." His tone was cool, calm, as if he was talking to a child. Yet Kaoru felt the threat of Aoshis' words.

"Aoshi, enough!" Kenshin demanded, anger spilt over and Kenshin could feel the beast within him wanting to wrap his jaws around the one who threatened his mate.

"You will sleep the healing sleep of Carpathians, the way you should be sleeping." Aoshi went on, over stepping his bounds, his eyes locked onto Kaorus'. "Kenshin has allowed you to sleep as humans do, to keep you calm and comfortable, but he loses strength everyday because he refuses to leave your side and sleep in the ground. You are Carpathian now Kaoru Kamiya and you must sleep like one!" Kaoru felt herself bounce on the bed and a moment later she saw a wolf wrap its' jaws around Aoshis' neck.

"Kenshin! No!" Kaoru cried, afraid he was going to hurt the healer. Tension and silence filled the air as Aoshi fell to his knees, then to all fours. The wolf didn't let up his hold and the teeth bit into the Carpathians' flesh. Yet Aoshi did nothing but hold stone still. Then slowly, he let his head fall forward till his forehead touched the ground. Then and only then did Kenshin speak, using the common path so that both Aoshi and Kaoru would hear him.

'_Apologize.'_ Kenshin demanded. His voice wasn't even his own, but the deep snarl of the wolf. His body trembled with anger, every muscle ready to spring into action. _'Kaoru doesn't know any better, it's my fault for not putting us into ground sooner. You have no right to talk to her as you just did. Now apologize!'_

"I beg forgiveness" Aoshi stated evenly, his head still touching the ground. As far as apologies went that was the worst sounding one Kaoru had ever heard. But because Aoshi had little emotion to work with and a wolf at his throat, Kaoru jumped for it.

"You're forgiven! Now let him go Kenshin!" She touched his mind then, seeing him so filled with rage that his vision was flooded with red. Kaoru almost recoiled from the anger, but she dove deeper. _'He only wants what is best for us, let him go Kenshin. He's your friend.' _She wrapped his ferial mind with calm and love and after a moment the anger started to ebb, then flow away completely. Kenshin removed his jaws from Aoshis' neck and took a step back and shifted back into human form.

Aoshi slowly stood back up, his eyes and face showed nothing of what just happened. Kenshin on the other hand looked ready to kill. His eyes glowed golden amber and he was tense, ready to pounce. Kaoru reached for his mind again, drawing the livid man to her. Once Kenshin reached out and wrapped a hand around the back of her neck, was she satisfied that he wasn't going to do anything stupid, she hoped. "Kenshin, if what Aoshi says is true…well then I think it would be best if we slept in the ground." The last thing she wanted was for Kenshin to lose his strength simply because he wasn't getting the sleep he needed. She had to make sure he was taking care of himself.

'_That is not something for you to worry about lifemate.'_ Kenshin whispered in her mind.

'_You can't take care of me if you can't even take care of yourself. We will sleep underground.'_ Kaoru turned her gaze to Kenshin _'Don't argue with me Himura. I know you can just put me to sleep, I won't have a clue about what is it like being buried alive.'_

Kenshin couldn't argue with this firecracker of a woman. She was willing to face something as terrifying as the concept of being buried alive just so he could get the healing sleep that he needed? Why, oh why was he given such a wonderful woman. He embraced her, dragging her to him roughly, wanting to feel her. "Don't think I'm doing this because you told me, Firecracker." Kenshins' raspy voice gave away the emotion he was feeling. He pulled away slightly and waved a hand over the ground once more.

Again the earth heaved upward and pilled too the side of the room. _'We will sleep above Sano, to protect him, and so I can better sense his condition.' _Kenshin said to both Kaoru and Aoshi. The grave sized hole was only about five foot deep. Not as deep as Kenshin liked to sleep at, but perfect enough for the circumstances. Already the smell of the healing earth called to Kenshin. It was like the comfort one had wrapped up in a warm blanket on a cold day, or the embrace of a mother when one was ill. The red-head scooped Kaoru up in his arms and with a single leap, fell into the hole and landed lightly.

"Wait Kenshin." Kaoru looked at both Carpathians. "What happens if Aoshi attacks and we are in the ground? How will we protect Yahiko?" The vampire was able to remove the safeguards through her, what was there to say he wouldn't do it again.

Kenshin hushed her with soft soothing words. "Shh, Firecraker. Shishio is weak as a kitten during the day. And if he happens to send his humans, Aoshi will set the safeguards." He nuzzled his lifemate, feeling her silky soft hair rub up against his face.

"You don't have anything to worry about." Aoshi stated, looking down at them "You must trust me in this…Kaoru….Kenshin."

Kenshin didn't seem to be paying much attention to the man. He whispered in a deep tone to Kaoru; watching the woman grow calm, then fall into a deep sleep. Kenshin then turned his attention to Aoshi. He wasn't going to forgive the healer for being so curt with his mate, but he did trust Aoshi to protect the four of them during the daytime hours. "Hiko has taken care of the two men I was interrogating; I didn't get much information out of them."

Aoshi shrugged his shoulders with such careless grace that could only be described as poetry. "Matters not Kenshin, Shishio will be caught. He must be caught." His hard blue eyes moved away from Kenshin. "Now sleep. And regain the power that you have been losing."

Kenshin set his jaw. It wasn't like Aoshi to give orders like that. He was getting desperate for everything to go right. Everyone was going to have to keep a much closer eye on Aoshi. With a sigh he turned his gaze back to his treasured Kaoru. He entered her mind and demanded her body to comply with his orders. Her breathing slowed then stopped all together, then her heartbeat grew weaker and weaker till it too stopped. Kaoru lay in his arms, dead. And yet she wasn't dead. She was sleeping the deep healing sleep of the Carpathians. Kenshin lay back in the ground, arranging Kaoru so she was snuggled up against him. One protective arm wrapped around her, her head resting on his shoulder. With one last look up at Aoshi, he sent the earth tumbling over them. Kenshin stopped his heart and lungs, and fell into the same death-like sleep.

… . .

Kaoru opened her eyes and found herself in bed. But how? Kaoru blinked a few times. Didn't she get put in the earth? Why was she in bed? Confused, Kaoru bolted into a sitting position. All at once massive hunger pains ripped through her. Around the room, candles sputtered to life and Kenshin melted out of the dark shadows. His deep blue gi was un-tucked and left open, his hair was free and wild about his face. His gentle eyes smoldered as they fell upon her. He looked so beautiful, Kaoru felt her heart trip and start racing. He was sin, a dark, dangerous wet dream come alive. Without a spoken word between them, Kenshin reached out and placed his hand at the back of her head, tipping her face up so he could claim her mouth with a kiss.

The kiss lasted only a few heart stopping moments before he pulled away and gently pressed Kaoru toward his chest. Kaoru knew what to do now. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close, picked a spot and bit down. Kenshin sucked in his breath; his hands tangled themselves in her hair. Kaoru felt power beyond anything she had felt up to that moment. Kenshin was at full strength; his blood flowed into her like an elixir of life, and with it came his power. Once her hunger was stated, she closed the bite with a slow drag of her tongue.

No sooner did she pull away that Kenshin converged upon her. His hunger for her was so fierce, Kaoru could feel it. She entered his mind, his need became her own and she could not deny him. Their clothes simply blinked away and their coming together was hard and fast. Kaoru felt her body climbing in pleasure well before her mind had a chance to catch up. Kenshin chanted softly in a language not unlike that of the healing chant that she heard from him before. He called her name as if he begged for her. Climax hit them both simultaneously. To Kaoru, it felt like the ground shifted, the house moved, stars appeared before her eyes before she made her way back into her body. The pair clutched at each other gasping for air, sweat made their bodies gleam in the candle light.

Kaoru felt a flood of emotions from Kenshin. Love, a desperate kind of love, hope, need, fear, desperation for life. "Kenshin" Kaoru petted his hair away from his face so she could see him. Her words were like a salve on his torn, black soul. The very sound of his name on her lips cemented his need for her.

"Kaoru, you must live." Kenshin whispered, his weight still pinning her to the bed.

"But Kenshin, I am alive, there is no way I'm going to die." Kaoru wanted to laugh, but she felt the anxiety in Kenshin.

"No Kaoru, you don't understand. If you die, no one will be safe. No one. I will turn into the darkness, take my revenge out on the human race and Carpathains. I will be a danger to everyone. For the safety of all humanity, you must stay alive." His voice broke then, and Kaoru watched in stunned silence as tears fell from his eyes. Yet his eyes remained locked onto hers. "I don't know what I would do without you Kaoru. There would be no way I would be able to live on. I couldn't keep sane without you." A sob ripped from his throat and he collapsed on her, hugging her at tight as he dared, as if he feared she would be ripped from his arms at any moment. "I can't live without you. I refuse to live without you."

"Kenshin," Kaoru embraced him as tightly as she could.

… . .

"So I really slept underground?" Kaoru asked as Kenshin traced over her every curve with a finger tip.

"Hai, you did." Kenshin had calmed, his breakdown was behind him and now he was just enjoying the company of his lifemate. He knew Aoshi waited for them but he was reluctant to enter the world again. All he wanted was to stay in bed with Kaoru forever. But there was no denying his duty. Kenshin sighed to himself and slowly climbed out of bed, clothes instantly appeared, White hakamas and his ever popular fuchsia gi. He smiled as he created a gi for Kaoru to wear. "I took you out of the earth before I woke you. I didn't think you would appreciate it if you awoke while still under the ground."

"I would have to agree with you." Kaoru didn't know how she would have reacted if Kenshin woke her up while she was still underground. She would most likely get a lungful of dirt from trying to breath. Sometimes she wasn't the brightest one in the bunch. Kaoru straightened the clothes Kenshin created for her and looked down at her feet and at the stones she was standing on. "How's Sano? Do you know?"

"Hai. He's doing well. I think perhaps we can wake him tonight. Rather than wait till tomorrow night. I have a strange feeling that Shishio is moving. We will need Sano's help."

Kaoru felt fear leap within her. Shishio was on the move, coming for her. Kenshin quickly closed the few steps distance between them and rested both hands on her shoulders. "You don't have to worry about anything, Shishio is but one vampire, he's a master…but far from being an ancient. And there will be four Carpathian males, two of which are ancients. Shishio has little hope of getting away. He will be destroyed." Kenshin said will full conviction. There was no way Kaoru could doubt his words.

… . .

Not even two hours later Kaoru found herself standing in the soft shadows of Kenshins' lair. Yahiko stood at her side, eyes wide, taking in as much information as he could. Questions bubbled up from the boy, but he wisely kept silent. In the center of the room, Kenshin, Aoshi and Prince Hiko stood in a wide circle around the open hole in the ground where Sano slept. Tomoe stood peacefully against the wall just behind her lifemate, watching with calm interest. Kaoru had no idea what was going to take place. She was both nervous and fascinated all at the same time. The amount of power in the small room almost seemed to make the room bulge. The walls bend outward to accommodate the power of six Carpathians. It was only an illusion, a feeling, but it didn't stop Kaoru from being a bit disoriented.

Hiko motioned with his hands and Sano rose from his sleeping place. The soil and rock once again cascaded back into its rightful place. But instead of compacting to look like the rest of the floor, the stones stayed to the side of the room and the soil remained lose and exposed. Sano was lowered back onto the cradle of soft, dark dirt. The three Carpathians stepped close to Sano and kneeled. Kenshin rested both hands over Sanos' heart; Hiko placed both of his hands Sanos' temples, as if he wished to hold his head still. Aoshi reached out and his hands hovered just over the soil packed wound that marred Sanos' middle.

A silence even thicker than before hung for just a moment before the three men started chanting. Kaoru recognized it. Somehow knowing it was the same healing chant that Aoshi and Kenshin did for her. She felt as if she knew the words, even though she had only heard them once before. It was a deep, haunting language that was slow and steady. Their deep voices created a lullaby of sorts, the rhythm of the words flowed together, and at times sounded like one endless word that stretched for minutes.

Aoshi grew transparent, like a glowing white ghost. Kaoru wanted to gasp in surprise and fear, but the ritual chanting was not to be disturbed. She swallowed back her surprise and watched the white glowing energy flow out of Aoshi, leaving behind a shell of his former self. The white energy moved down his arms, to his hand and into Sano. Aoshis' spirit was inside Sano!

More time past, the chanting went on. Kaoru watched closely as the soil packed into Sanos' wound started disappearing, as if being absorbed into him, becoming a part of him. At the same time, the wound healed, slowly closing as the soil vanished. It was slow work, and Kaoru could see the first signs of strain on Kenshins' face. A half hour past, then a full hour. They were working on another hour when the wounds were finally healed. Aoshi returned to his body. He slouched with fatigue, he was pale and his hair was matted to his head, soaked with sweat. The chanting slowly died away. Hiko and Kenshin pulled away and everyone in the room watched Sano, waiting for him to wake up.

But he didn't. He was stone still and looked just as dead as before. Hiko sighed and stood. Without a word Tomoe took his place and kneeled behind Sanos' head and looked down at him, her small hands removing the tangled locks of hair from his face. She pulled the shredded red headband from his hair, letting his hair fall freely.

"Sanosuke." Tomoes' voice shimmered in the air in perfect silver tones. She locked her gaze on Sanos' face and called for him a few more times. "It's time for you to come back Sano. You've pulled too far back into yourself. But you are healed now, you are needed Sanosuke. Shishio is coming."

Sano stirred then. Hardly a flicker of movement. Then his eyes open, brown eyes finding Tomoe kneeling over him. The female smiled down and kept petting his hair. "There you are Sano." She said simply, sitting back and Sano sat up.

Sano smiled sheepishly at the group around him. "Thanks guys." Sano ran his hand over his shredded shirt and jacket, feeling his smooth middle and finding it to be the same as before. "Wow, that was intense."

Laughing, Tomoe threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Kaoru's vision suddenly blurred with tears. She was relieved, so very relieved that Sano was alright. With the injuries he had sustained, all logic told Kaoru that Sano should be dead. But there he was, perfectly healed, and smiling. Kaoru rushed forward, breaking into the circle of Carpathians and fell to her knees in front of Sano and gathered the bemused man into her arms.

"Sano, I'm so sorry!" Kaoru cried and the two females held him. Sanosuke looked about ready to jump away from the pair. He didn't know just how to react.

"Kaoru! Tomoe! I'm fine alright. Get off me before your other half kills me!" The man was acting just short of pushing them away. But Kenshin laughed, and Hiko was hiding his smiles. "Huh? You guys aren't gonna kill me?" Sano blinked at the men.

"No Sano, the females were worried for you." Hiko stated.

"You saved my lifemate Sano." Kenshin smiled down at his best friend. "You deserve a hug, but I think you would like it better if it was Kaoru hugging you."

"Well Hell," Sano wrapped his arms around Kaoru, hugging her back. "It was nothing Missy, I had to save you, it's who I am."

"Okay that's enough." Kenshin said smoothly, plucking Kaoru up off the ground and pressing her close to his side.

Sano laughed as he tied his hair back up with his headband with the help of Tomoe. "Aww, I knew you weren't gonna to let that last for long."

"Naturally." Kenshin flashed Sano a smile before setting a kiss on Kaorus' temple.

* * *

A/n Not as long as most of my chapters, so sorry again. I know it might be a bit confusing. So if ya have any questions, then please ask. :) next chapter, we finally get to see the fight between Shishio and all the Carpathians. Thanks for reading, and please review! 


	18. The Battle Begins

A/N Yeah! School is over! Sadly, I still work. Oh poo. But I am slowly getting back to writing more and more everyday. I'm not as far into the second part as I wanted to be, but it's slowly getting there. Hehe

I love all my reviews and reviewers. You make me so happy. :) anyways, I'm keeping this short because it's bed time. Hope ya'll like the next chapter.

Disclaimer. I don't own Kenshin or the work of Feehan.

I give this chapter a PG-13 rating

* * *

Chapter 18

The group of Carpathians had retired to the library. Sano was feeling good as new. The males took turns, leaving one at a time to go out and feed; there was always at least three males to protect Tomoe and Kaoru. Yahiko had long gone to bed and the two women were deep in conversation while the males prowled around the room restlessly.

"Why did you have to call Sano to wake him up?" Kaoru asked curiously sitting close to Tomoe on the small sofa they shared.

"Sometimes they turn so far into themselves that it takes a little extra to get their attention and let them know it's alright to wake up." Tomoe smiled gently, one hand was petting her round belly. "It isn't the first time I've had to call Sano back after he took a bad injury. I think he does it on purpose." The two girls giggled like teenagers.

"Hey now." Sano protested from his spot by the one window in the room.

"Admit it Sanosuke. You just love the sound of my voice calling you." Tomoe teased. Hiko, who was taking his turn feeding, growled at her from the distance between them.

'_Stop flirting with him, lifemate.' _Hiko warned gently, _'I would hate to have to hurt the boy.' _

'_Empty threats._' Tomoe purred back as she flashed a tongue-tied Sano a dazzling smile.

'_Do not test me.'_ Hiko caressed her mind, filling her body with warm, soothing heat and flashed images of what he planned on doing to her, pushing all thoughts of any other male from her mind and leaving her blushing.

'_You fight dirty.'_ Tomoe pouted before breaking contact with her mate and turning back to Kaoru who waited patiently. "Hiko can't stand it when I give another male any more attention than he rightly needs. I fear it is something he will never grow out of." Tomoe leaned close and whispered to Kaoru. "Like a jealous child vying for all his mothers' attention." The two women erupted into peals of gold and silver, musical laughter. Tomoe hugged her new sister close as they shared the joke.

The sound brought a smile to Kenshin who stood by the fireplace. He was happy that Kaoru was fitting in so well with the family. He didn't doubt Kaorus' ability to win anyone's' heart. Kenshin turned away from the sight and focused on nothing but empty space as a voice spoke to him. It was the Prince.

'_Kenshin.'_ Hiko sounded slightly disturbed, but it was well hidden. _'I found a body in the ally not too far from your house. It looks like the person was mauled by a wild animal.'_

'_Shishio?'_ Kenshin glanced over at the women. Kaoru was watching him intently. Kenshin bit back a curse as he realized Kaoru was in his mind and hearing everything Hiko was telling him. She knew about the body Hiko had found and the fact that Shishio was near and was leaving a trail of death.

'_It could be another vampire, but I highly doubt that they would be stupid enough to leave evidence of their existence. Besides, the body smells like Shishio. He is baiting us, wanting us to go out hunting for him.' _

'_Meaning he's trying to get the females alone, or at least with less protection, that he is.' _Again he looked over at the women and now both of them were watching him. Obviously Tomoe was in Hikos' mind as well. Kenshin only hopped that the Prince had hidden the sight of the bloody mess from his sister. _'What do we do? We have to go after him or he'll just keep on killing and leaving the bodies for anyone to find.'_ And that was dangerous. They already had enough problems with human vampire hunters. If a body was found that was brained of blood and torn apart, well…they didn't need that kind of attention again.

'_We have to find him. And soon. Dawn is not far, he will not kill again tonight. It will be a waste to go out and hunt him now.' _

'_Tomorrow then.'_ Kenshin stated, his eyes never leaving Kaoru. He could see the fear and almost panic slowly seep into her eyes. She didn't want anyone to have anything to do with Shishio. But she knew that Shishio was evil and needed to be destroyed or else he would just cause the world more pain and suffering. Kenshin sent her comfort and calmness, watching Kaoru sag back against the sofa and the two females curled up against each other.

'_Tomorrow, Hiko agreed.' _

… . .

" Kenshin." Kaoru curled up against her lifemate and nuzzled at his neck. Everyone had gone home, knowing they would be back before dusk. Kenshin turned, molding his body against Kaorus'

He growled in amusement. "I told you not to worry." He let her hide her face against his neck. "But you worry anyways." He stated with a sigh. Kenshin pulled away, catching the scared look in her eyes.

"You're going out to fight Shishio. I don't want that, I want you to stay here." Kaoru felt ashamed. The others were risking their life, and yet she wanted Kenshin to stay behind. It was selfish of her, but she couldn't help it. She didn't know what she would do if anything happened to Kenshin. She wanted him to stay next to her, where she could make sure he was safe. Kaoru tried her hide the fear from him, moving to burry her face into his mass of metallic-red hair, but Kenshin stopped her.

"Do you think so little of my abilities that I can not hold my own against such a sad, desperate creature?" Humor tinted his voice, even though he tried to look hurt that she didn't believe in his strength.

Kaoru gasped, "Oh, no, no I know you are strong and powerful, but-"

"Then don't be afraid." Kenshin gently interrupted, dipping his head to place a sweet soft kiss on her trembling lips. "Tomoe will be here, for Hiko will be out hunting with me. You will not be alone. It's four of us against one of him. And though he may stoop to dirty tricks to make it difficult for us, he will not get near this house." He said with confidence.

"If it's so hopeless, why does Shishio even try?" Kaoru couldn't help but feel sorry for the vampire. As vile and disgusting and evil as it was, he didn't seem to have a choice in what he did.

Kenshin smiled, amazed. Kaoru's mercy knew no bounds; she felt sorrow for the evil being. Just as every female Carpathian, they were compassionate to a fault. "He has a slight link with you… a bond. And he is desperate; the need to find a mate is still there, even though he has no ability to love. He refuses to give up, even though he knows the odds are against him."

"It just seems so sad." Kaoru rested her head on Kenshins' bare shoulder, feeling drowsy as the dawn approached.

Kenshin kissed her forehead. "He will be killed, his black soul set free. If we don't, he will only live on, torturing more girls, holding them as slaves, killing for pleasure, and always after you. As a Carpathian male, I can not allow this to happen." He stated simply, accepting his fate. He would always be the hunter. Always protecting. It was who he was and who he would always be until he died. Kaoru had fallen asleep. The sun rose, Kenshin could feel its rays caressing the earth with its first warm light. The vampire would be locked in the earth until the sun set again, But Kenshin took no chances. Aoshi set the safeguards and Kenshin stopped Kaorus' heart and lungs and sent her into the deep Carpathian sleep.

Kenshin gathered Kaoru in his arms and swung himself out of bed. He commanded the earth before him to open up and he set the girl down on the rich soil. He allowed himself to take a moment to gaze upon Kaorus' naked body; her beautiful pale skin looked like ivory against the dark rich earth. He sighed. Kenshin prayed that nothing terrible happened to him or anyone else. He knew Kaoru would only blame herself for bringing Shishio to them, even though that idea was ridicules. They were very glad, for now they didn't have to hunt around for weeks or months. Shishio was coming to them. Kenshin stretched out next to Kaoru, curing around her body, protecting her as the earth spilled back in and Kenshin sent himself to sleep.

… . .

"It's so unfair!" Yahiko protested, looking at Kenshin, then Kaoru, and back again. "I swore that I was going to protect Kaoru from that monster and I won't sit around here while you guys go after him!" The boy set his jaw stubbornly, eyes flashing. "Come on Kenshin, I can handle this freak."

Kaoru stood in the center of the living room wringing her hands nervously as she watched Kenshin, curious as how he was going to handle this. The red-head looked gentle, but stern. He wore a deep navy blue gi and smoke grey hakama pants. His purple eyes were narrow and hard. "Yahiko." Kenshin started gently. "Shishio was only playing with you that first time he had you. Tonight, he will not hesitate to kill you." His words, though convincing, didn't seem to have much impression on the strong willed boy. Kenshin was doing everything in his power to not change the boys' mind for him.

Kaoru turned, fear and nervousness was making her sick. So sick in fact that Kenshin had to constantly be in her mind to keep her from having a meltdown. She was so distracted with her own distress that she didn't even notice the surge in power as Hiko, Tomoe and Aoshi suddenly appeared in the room. Only Yahikos' shout of surprise woke her out of her thoughts.

"Oh my," Kaoru gasped, going to Tomoes' side. The woman seemed even paler, if that were possible "It's much too early for you to be traveling Tomoe. The sun hasn't even set yet. She took the woman by the hand and led her to the sofa and sat down with her. Are you alright? You're so pale." Kaoru feared Tomoe was having a problem with her baby but the woman only smiled sweetly and hugged Kaoru.

"Oh dear sister, stop worrying about me. I'm perfectly fine." She pulled away from the hug, but still held on to the other woman as she gave her a heartwarming smile. "I'm not a fledgling; I can wake myself during the daylight hours and be up and about if I so wish it." Tomoe knew that the only reason Kaoru was up was because Kenshin woke her and was lending her a bit of his strength to keep her alert until the sun went down.

Hiko snorted, bringing the attention to him. "The little chit refuses to feed this rising." By the look on the princes' face, he was none too happy about the fact. "That is why she is so pale."

"Tomoe!" Kenshin chided. He stalked over and sat next to Kaoru, pulling her against him for comfort as he spoke to his sister. "That is not healthy, think of your baby."

Kaoru felt amusement bubbling up as a look of defiance flashed in the womans' eyes. She could almost picture the mother-to-be hackles raise at the onslaught of males around her.

"I am almost one thousand years old. I'm pretty sure I know what my body, and my baby for that matter, can and can not handle." Tomoe, though sweet and loving and all together gentle, both Hiko and Kenshin visibly winced at the annoyance in Tomoes' voice. Even Yahiko and stone faced Aoshi started looking uncomfortable.

"She does this every time I'm about to battle a vampire." Hiko grumbled, crossing his arms over his massive chest. "She refuses to feed from me."

Kaorus' eyes grew wide in surprise and Kenshin picked up conversation as if by her cue. "Kaoru refused to feed from me too, I had to enter her mind and force her to."

"Shinta!" Tomoe shrieked.

"I believe it's the womans' way of protecting us." Hiko mused, trying in vain to calm his livid lifemate. "Tomoe knows I won't have time to feed once the vampire rises. If she takes blood from me, I'll be that much weaker."

"Looks like you lost out Kenshin." Sano joked as he walked into the living room. He had walked in from the back door and entered though the kitchen. He had his sunglasses on, showing that he had stayed in his human form outside. Most likely he had fed on the way there.

Kaoru was ashamed that she didn't fight Kenshin harder, she was afraid that she had put him at risk by feeding from him. Instantly Kenshin touched her mind and soothed her.

'_You did no such thing Firecracker. I do not want you to further worry yourself about it.'_ Kenshin set a kiss on her ear as he stood. "You should not of weakened yourself by exposing your body to the sun Sanosuke."

Sano shrugged. "It wasn't much exposure. I had to feed." He added indifferently.

"You should take better care of yourself Sanosuke." Tomoe scolded gently.

"That's like the pot calling the kettle black, Tomoe." Aoshi spoke softly from his corner of the room.

"Hey that's uncalled for Dark One" Sano jumped to her defense. What he said might have been the truth, but it didn't me Aoshi should have said it. The healer lack tactfulness.

"Hey!" Yahiko piped up again. "I'm not staying here, I'm going out with you guys!" all the other men got to go out and fight, why did he have to sit around inside with the girls?

"I don't think so kid." Sano started but was interrupted by Yahikos' cry of rage.

"I'M NOT A KID! You rooster head!"

"Yahiko." Hiko turned his full attention to the boy and looked down at him from his imposing height. All this arguing was doing nothing but upsetting the women. He could feel Kaoru becoming more and more distraught by the second. Hiko recognized the agitated look Kenshin had on his face as he tried to comfort his woman but Carpathian instincts forced Hiko to do whatever he could to help Kaoru. He eased his voice to a calm gentle tone, catching Yahikos' full attention instantly. "While we all know you are very capable of holding your own against any human opponent, a vampire is truly a rival on a whole other level. He is cunning, and will use whatever trick he knows in order to get his way. He will fight dirty and if he captures you, may use you against all of use and against Kaoru." He paused, letting the boy soak up the many horrible possibilities. "Stay here, the women are going to be frightened and it is quite possible that they may not think straight, especially Kaoru, as this is the first time she will experience her lifemate in a battle with such an adversary. You must help her stay calm and make sure she keeps in the house. All of us trust you in this. Alright?"

Yahiko blinked up at the beautiful yet cruel edged face of the prince and nodded. "Y-yeah. Alright." Yahiko agreed. What was he to do; there was no way he could argue with that. The man was so convincing. And while Yahiko wanted to prove himself, he didn't want to be used as a tool against them if he got caught. Everyone seemed to relax now that Yahiko finally agreed to stay where it was safest. Kaoru continued to fidget despite Kenshin reassuring her in her mind.

"Kaoru, Tomoe has been through things like this before so take heed of my warning." Aoshi moved from the shadows of his corner of the room. His face was deadly, yet serene. "The vampire is a cunning creature; he won't hesitate to do anything he thinks will help him win. Whatever you do, do not go outside, do not listen to any voices their might be in your head. Those voices may sound like one of us, but it is only the vampires' trickery. You know the feeling of your lifemate." Aoshi looked over at Kenshin right then. "Make sure it is in fact your lifemate talking to you, not just a voice that sounds like his."

Kaoru took a deep breath and nodded. Fear made her tremble, uncertainty made her ill. What was going to happen? She watched as Aoshi left the group and wandered around the house weaving complicated safeguards.

"Please don't take so long, Hiko." Tomoe spoke up. "I don't think I can handle this stress so well, nor the baby."

Kaoru was amazed how calm and collected the woman sounded. Did things like this happen every day? _'Is she just that sure? Positive you guys will take care of everything?'_

'_In all the hundreds of years, we have never let her down once. She doesn't expect us to do so now. She is worried, and as she says, stressed. But she is keeping as calm as possible, for your sake Firecracker.'_ Kenshin couldn't help himself. He wanted to get close to Kaoru again. He wrapped his arms around her, enfolding her in a blanket of safety, love and reassurance.

Just then it seemed the very earth trembled. The sun had set and the earth spat out the evil being that had been taking refuge within it. Instantly the males went on alert. Hiko joined Aoshi, helping by adding his power to the safeguards While Kenshin tried to pry his lifemates' arms from around him.

"Firecracker, Shishio has risen, I must go now." He said gently, but Kaoru refused to give up her hold on him..

"No I don't want you to go!" Kaoru bit back a sob and forced herself to relax. She would not have a breakdown here, not now, not in front of everyone. She forced her voice to stay calm and unwavering. "I want you to stay here."

Kenshin smiled down at his lifemate as she held him, as if her will alone would keep him there. How he loved Kaoru. He had never felt such love from another, not from his parents or his sister. He petted her raven black hair then placed both hands on the side of her face and tipped her head up so he could gaze into her shimmering eyes. "Kaoru." He started, his voice deep with emotion. "I have never lost a fight, and I don't plan on losing this one. This vampire torments you, and it is my duty to put an end to it. As your lifemate, I have no choice but to see to your happiness and well being." He smiled softly. "Even if what is good for you is not what you want."

There was a time not very long ago that something like that would make Kaoru angry, but the woman only broke down and laughed. Her laugh quickly turned to chocked sobs as she hugged Kenshin tighter. "If you don't come back, I'll hunt you down and…and….and do something horrible." She threatened.

"Hai, I know you would." Kenshin untangled himself from Kaorus' arms and turned to the males that had gathered by the door. "Sano. Stay here, if the safeguards don't hold, you are the only thing that will be between the women and whatever trickery Shishio has planed."

Sano nodded without argument. Tomoe stood and embraced her mate tightly and the pair shared a kiss that had everyone else in the room looking at something much more interesting in order to give the couple a bit of privacy.

"Don't do anything foolish Tomoe. Understand?" Hikos' voice had hardened, already ready for the battle at hand.

Tomoe wasn't intimidated in the slightest. "You better be careful too lifemate." There was an underlying threat in the mother-to-bes' voice that had the prince smiling as he vanished in a swirl of black mist. Kenshin and Aoshi followed suit and the three slipped out of the house and outside.

… . .

A silence fell over the house that could only be described as ominous. Kaoru stood, twisting her fingers together, her worried eyes going from Tomoe to Sano. Yahiko stood at her side and without a word reached out and wrapped one arm around her middle in a side hug. The air grew thick and silent, as if the whole world was holding its breath.

… . . .

Kenshin stood at the edge of his property, at least a good twenty yards away from the house. The small forest was at his back. Aoshi vanished deeper into the woods and Hiko was above them in hawk form, sweeping the whole area with his powerful gaze. Kenshin looked at the sky as twilight quickly approached. There was a dark stain in the sky, an evil pollution that gave away the direction the vampire was coming from. Kenshin readied himself and slowly cut off his link with Kaoru. She would be spared seeing the fight, and Shishio wouldn't be able to use Kaoru to read Kenshins' mind.

The ground trembled under his feet and Kenshin watched with little emotion as the forest erupted with life. Rats, snakes and all manner of insets swarmed out of the forest, and up from the ground and converged upon Kenshin, Their simple minds controlled by the vampire. Kenshin jumped away from the trees just as a swarm of flying insects attacked. The air was thick with the biting stinging bugs as they tried to smother Kenshin. The red-head gasped, seeing the virtual stampede of rats and lowly creatures converge upon the house. Instantly the insects swarmed into Kenshins' mouth, attempting to choke him.

In the sky the Prince hardly expected Shishio to be able to command so many tiny lives. The air itself seem to moan from the sheer numbers of them. The swarms of black stinging bodies attacked his hawk form and disoriented Hiko so much that he was unable to fly. He fell from the sky. He crashed to the earth, his feathered body bounced roughly. The insects rained down, simply falling from the sky to follow him. Their bodies crackled as they hit the ground in piles of squirming, crawling bodies.

… . .

Kaoru and Tomoe held each other tightly as they stood in the center of the room. All around them they could hear the roar of creatures. As if a hail storm was approaching. Sano gazed out the front window; his fists were jammed deep in his pockets to keep him from punching something. As honorable as it was to stay behind as the last line of protection for the females, he wanted to be out in the action. A wave of insects collided with the window, attempting the break through.

"Get away from the window you idiot!" Yahiko shouted, his frightened brown eyes glued out the window to the mass straining against the glass.

"Don't worry." Sano said with a lazy tone, eyes still watching the battle outside. "Aoshis' safeguards are more than enough protection from this petty attack." Sano jumped and swore violently, taking a startled step back as the rats began flinging themselves at the window.

"Just stay calm." Tomoe whispered softy to Kaoru as they held each other tightly. All the windows in the house trembled from the assault of the thousands of tiny bodies. Kaoru could see the glass flexing, as if they were in an earthquake. There was no way they should be holding, but the safeguards prevented the glass from breaking. Kaoru instinctively reach out for Kenshin but found nothing but an empty blackness.

"I can't feel Kenshin!" Kaoru felt fear wash over her as well as panic. What happened? Was Kenshin hurt? Knocked out, dying! "I have to find him." She tried to run for the door but Tomoe held fast. Her grip was strong, stronger than any human.

"No Kaoru. Kenshin is fine." Tomoe turned Kaoru to face her and gave her a soft shake. "Look within yourself. You can still feel that your soul is whole."

Kaoru swallowed her sobs and nodded. Her soul was still whole, she could feel Kenshins' other half still tied to her.

… . .

Kenshin and Hiko both vanished in a swirl of mist; their particles were so small the bugs couldn't harm them. The vampire shrieked in fury in the distance. The ground cracked, a large gash in the earth spread open and ran from the street to deep in the small forest. Kenshin and Hiko reformed, this time they erected an invisible barrier around them, a protective bubble that kept the angry bugs away from them. But the air was so thick with them it was almost impossible to see through.

Kenshin created a fire ball in his hands and sent it out, burning a small hole though the wall of creatures in time to spot Hiko doing the same. The insects quickly swarmed to cover the clear spot. Shishio was close now. His evil ki was like a stench that polluted the air. Kenshin growled and turned in the direction it was coming from. Behind him a low rumble started.

The small forest burst into flames, but the trees did not burn. Aoshi, the Dark One, stepped from the forest with a barrier of white flames dancing about him. As he moved, the wall of fire moved, leaving the forest untouched behind him. The mindless bugs tried to attack him, but they burned to crisps before getting anywhere close to the powerful Carpathian. Aoshi stood as the pile of burnt bugs grew higher and higher about him, slowly burning into ashes. Suddenly, without any warning to the other Carpathians, the fire wall around Aoshi exploded. Both Kenshin and Hiko were engulfed with blinding white light and searing heat, but they were not harmed. The bugs, however, were annihilated. The mass of creatures were incinerated instantly. Shishio screamed from close by.

Hiko glared off in the direction of the scream and ducked as a large vulture swooped in seemingly from nowhere, attempting to attack the prince from behind. It snapped its razor sharp beak right where Hiko had been standing. The vulture, of course, was being controlled by the vampire and Hiko paid little attention to it as he reestablished the barrier that had been removed by Aoshis' wall of fire.

Then, Shishio appeared. He hovered inches above the ground; gliding over the black, ash covered grass. He wore nothing save the yards upon yards of dingy, dirty bandages. His scared, wrinkled skin was nearly black compared to them. Talon-like claws protruded from his fingers and dripped with venom. "Battousai." The vampire hissed, turning its crazy eyes and joker-like grin to Kenshin. His skin was pulled so tight over his body that the smile was almost a parody. As if Shishio couldn't produce a true smile.

Kenshins' eye twitched, the only sign that he had heard the vampire as he shook off the ashes of the bugs as it drifted down from the sky. "I don't go by that name anymore, undead one."

Shishios' wild eyes grew wider and he hissed, acidic spittle flew from his mouth. "Doesn't mean you are no longer the killer you once were." His voice rubbed on the Carpathians, like sandpaper against there skin. It almost hurt to listen to him. But the men just ignored the pain, showing no signs that it affected them. When his taunt didn't seem to get any sort of reaction from Kenshin, Shishio continued. "That girl." He hissed again, pointing to the house. "She is mine. We have a bond and she rightfully belongs to me!"

Kenshin didn't move a muscle, didn't so much as even twitch. He held himself calm and perfectly still, but it took immense control not to attack at his words. "Never, undead one." Kenshin said calmly, as if he was talking to an old friend about the weather. "It is no use, Vampire, she is pure and clean, while you are not." Kenshin's yellow eyes narrowed a bit. "You couldn't even stand to lay your eyes on her now." Upon hearing this, Shishio went into a rage and hurtled to the house with a speed neither of the Carpathians had anticipated.

* * *

A/N Whooa! Look a Shishio move! Will Kenshin or the others get there in time? What will Shishio find if he reaches the house first? What will Kaoru do? What about Sano and Tomoe? or do you think Yahiko will save the day? Oh the possibilities!

Please review! And thanks for reading.


	19. Sacrifice

A/n Wow! I'm so loving all your reviews everyone. It's so cool that y'all like the story so much that you went out to get to books I based it off of. You have no idea how that makes me feel.:)

Okay.. So I'm proof reading this chapter and it kinda feels short to me. But all my chapters feel short so I don't worry about it. So I copy it from the main story and I find out that it's only a few pages long! Holy #! this is my shortest chapter ever. I feel so bad about leaving you with just a taste. To make up for it, I'll post the next chapter sooner that I would, kay? So don't kill me. hehe

I rate this chapter PG-13

I don't own Kenshin or the work of Feehan

* * *

Chapter 18

Shishio flew at the house; the front door was blown right off, sending large splinters of wood into the room. Sano saw the attack coming and had already erected a shield around the women, Yahiko and himself. The chucks of wood fell harmlessly around them. Outside, Shishio screamed a few feet from the door, Aoshi's powerful safeguards prevented him from getting any closer. Kaoru couldn't bear to look at the creature that had haunted her and changed her life.

'_Come here!' _Shishio screamed at her and to Kaoru' horror, she felt herself walking to the door. When she came into view, the vampires' eyes gleamed, and he tried to catch her eyes. However, Kenshins' words rang true in his head, for Shishio couldn't stand the pure innocence that sparkled in her blue eyes. Shishio screamed and pulled his gaze away, anger rolling off of him.

Kaoru felt his hold on her release, and yet she didn't move away. For a single moment, Kaoru felt sympathy for the Vampire. She saw the handsome, powerful, prideful Carpathian man Shishio use to be. His body was now an empty husk of that man, tortured and alone. She could feel the desperation and pain in his screams. All he wanted was to be whole again, to recover that which he gave away. Kaorus' eyes filled with tears. This was why Kenshin and the others hunted the vampires, not just because they killed their victims and did horrible evil things, but also because they once were friends, even family. To release there trapped souls, to end their pain. Shishio, even though he could not stand to have Kaoru look at him, tried to reach out to her. His stick-like fingers un-weaved the safeguards. But they were strong, and numerous, it would be impossible for the vampire to break through.

Sano ripped Kaoru away from the doorway, his brown eyes turned jet black with anger and he spat a curse at Shishio in an ancient tongue, sending the vampire in the air and away from the house. Sano launched himself in the air after the vampire, transforming into a hawk as he did so.

"Sanosuke!" Tomoe called out the doorway. She and Kaoru watched in shock as the large hawk attacked the vampire, Sano used his talons to claw at Shishio, aiming for the eyes and his throat. A much larger bird of prey joined him. The Prince in raptor form. Lightning tore across the sky, illuminating the three in a stark silhouette. Tomoe clutched at Kaoru with one hand, her other wrapped around her swollen belly.

"Hey you two!" Yahiko skidded to a stop, putting himself between the wide eyed women and the doorway. The rats and a few hundred leftover bugs still tried to swarm inside the house, but the safeguards held them at bay. The boy grabbed the two women and tugged with all his strength to move them. "Get away from the door will ya!" he screamed over the constant moan of wind and the shrieks of the vampire. But the women seemed rooted to the scene in front of them. Yahiko grabbed their hands and pulled. Only then did the women slowly follow until they tore their eyes from the battle. The boy only knew of one safe place in the house for the girls to go now. Kenshins' lair. "Come on you two!" Move!" the boy ordered and the females shot each other slightly amused yet worried looks before they let Yahiko push them to the underground tunnel.

Once there the boy shut the door tight. Kaoru looked at the ceiling overhead, biting her lip as she did so. "I hope everything's okay." She murmured softly in the eerie silence of the room.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine." Tomoe said gently as she slowly paced the room.

"You're so very sure of them" Kaoru stated, leveling her shimmering eyes at the woman. "You aren't the least bit afraid for them?"

Tomoe paused, her back was to Kaoru, head bowed. "I am afraid." She whispered almost too softly for Kaoru to hear. The woman turned around and lifted her gaze. The distress was obvious in her eyes. "I'm worried for all of them. But I have confidence that they will take care of everything." Tome broke into a teary smile. "Those displays of strength and control are not just for annoying us. We can only pray for them now, and be there for them when this is over."

Kaoru twisted her fingers together as Tomoe continued her pacing. How could they just stand there and wait for all of this to play out? Tomoe is and always had been a Carpathian, perhaps that was why it wasn't so very difficult for her to pace around the room and not want to go out there.

… …

Shishio was fighting dirty now. He used a blast of fire to stop Sanos' attack and reached out into the forest with his power. The many owls and feathered friends of the Carpathians were helpless to the vampires' mind control. They flew up from the trees in the dozens with one thing in their mind - attack. The vampire laughed, the sound of it radiated from everywhere and alerted the Carpathians to this new unexpected threat. Aoshi was the first to react; pushing past the mental barrier that Shishio set in the birds' minds, and fought to release them. But there were far too many to help all at once.

The owls joined in the fray of vultures, rats and the smattering of bugs that where left after Aoshis' fire attack. Hiko saw the mass of birds long before they reached him. He landed and dropped the barrier that protected him from the insects. If the birds touched it, they would die, and these owls where friends to the Carpathians. The poor things had no control over what they were doing and didn't deserve to die because the vampire was using them as a tool against him.

Kenshin had also dropped his barrier and struggled to Shishio, attacking his mind from the ground while the vampire was still in the air fighting with Sano in hawk form. _'Shishio, stop this foolishness. You know you must die, it is Carpathian law.'_ Kenshin spoke calmly to the vampire, causing the creature to falter. Sano took the opportunity and was able to dig his talons into Shishios' neck. Acidic blood gushed from the wound in a fine spray and coated Sano, eating away at his feathers. Kenshin watched as Sano fell from the sky in the tell-tall spiral of an injured bird. Yet he couldn't worry about his best friend. He knew Sano would be okay and a little vampire blood was nothing to the man. He never let his golden amber eyes waver from the undead one and continued his mental taunting, convincing the vampire that it was hopeless to continue.

'_Come here Shishio and face me, show me the brave Carpathian you use to be. I will honor your lost soul and end this farce of a living creature that your body is now.' _Kenshins' beautiful voice was too strong for Shishio to ignore and the vampire fell from the sky. But as he was about to land in a heap on the ground, he vanished into a fine mist that was quickly blown away by the gales of wind. "Shishio!" Kenshin cried into the wind, as he sent his power out to find the vampire.

Hiko was a blur of movement as he fought off the owls. He pushed them and threw them and did everything to keep them away without killing them and with the least amount of harm. The prince still had his mind locked onto every one of his people, to the males by his side, to the females under the ground, always monitoring them and knowing their condition. He knew Aoshi was starting the wane in strength as he freed the owls a few at a time, sending them back into the forest. He knew that Sano had been severely hurt after wounding the vampire, but Sano was shrugging off the injury, slowly turning back to Carpathian so as to not let the fine spray of blood touch his skin. And everyone could feel Kenshin slowly growing more frustrated with every minute that went by.

Suddenly Hiko swung his attention back to the sky of birds as a large owl, larger than the other owls, screamed down from the sky. The birds instantly parted to reveal a startled and unsuspecting Prince. In his moment of triumph Shishio dropped his disguise and aimed his venomous claws at Hikos' face. A red-black mist swirled in front of Hiko and solidified but Shishio ignored it and cried out in victory as he felt his claws connect with something solid and he dug them as deep as he could.

"Kenshin No!" Hiko stumbled back. Shishio opened his eyes and was shocked to find Kenshin in front of him, his eyes glowing amber, his face held a calm yet extremely angry look as he glared at the vampire inches from his face.

* * *

A/n Gah! I bet you want to reach into the computer and smack me upside the head for cutting it so short. TT I ish sorry. I really had no idea just how short it was until I uploaded it lol.

Anyways, I pray for reviews (Even if you are upset with me). And I should have the next chapter up around this time next week. :) So don't worry, you'll not have to wait to see what Kenshin got himself into.


	20. A New Hope

Mwhahah! See I told y'all that I would update soon. So do the happy dance:) guess what…go on… guess….. okay, this is the last chapter in this part of the story! Eep! That's right folks, Mark my Love is now over. But don't freak out….the next part will start soon. (as a new story).. so be on the look out for it :)

I want to thank all my loyal reviewers who have followed this story from the first day. kagome-kogas-dream-date, Ladysongstress321, kimi.the.water.spirit, blooded wyngs, evilalternateendingstorywriter, black-lotusblossom, RedWingedAngel002, Dream Catcher Kenshin, and all the other great reviewers who never missed a single chapter. :) And to all my new reviewers who sat at the computer for hours reading the whole story at once.

Anyways. I won't keep jabbering on and on when I know all of you want to read the story. :)

Oh! Guess what I saw! Being that I've been so busy, I haven't had the chance to check out Christine Feehan's web site…but after some great procrastinating, I decided do drop by and see what was new…and it turns out that one of her short stories (and as in short I mean about 130 pages long) Dark Hunger is being made in a 200 page Manga! Sweet Cherry Cheesecake!! My two favorite things in the world… Carpathians and manga… all in one! Needless to say about 2 minutes after I found this out, I had a copy pre-ordered off of Amazon. LOL

Okay.. me done talking

I give this chapter a PG-13 rating.

I do not own Kenshin or the work of Feehan.

* * *

Chapter 20

Shishio hissed, spit and venom flew, how dare the battousai get in the way of his ultimate triumph. His claws were buried deep into Kenshin's stomach, pumping poison into him. Shishio didn't pause, if he couldn't kill Hiko, he would surely do whatever it took to kill Kenshin. The pair dropped to the ground Shishio landed on Kenshin and the force of the landing helped the vampire dig his claws up and in deeper.

Kenshin ignored the pain and used the momentum of the fall to throw Shishio. He placed a foot on the creature's chest and pushed, sending the vampire flying over his head. The force made Kenshin flip head over heals to land on his stomach where he calmly got to his feet.

Shishio landed in a crumple heap of bandages and bones on the ground. He instantly got back to his feet and hissed. Kenshin only stood there, blood poured from the wound in his gut, the venom slowly eating away at his insides, but he stood stone still with his head bowed.

"What's the matter Battousai?" Shishio gloated, relishing in the scent of spilled Carpathian blood. Kenshin didn't answer. He only stood there silently. Then, ever so slowly he lifted his head and turned to face the vampire. In his hand, was the still pulsing heart that he had pulled from Shishio. Kenshin held it out for the creature to see. Shishio froze and looked down to see the gapping wound in his chest where his black, rotting heart had been. The vampire screamed. It was a sound no one had heard before and it elevated to an almost painful magnitude. The windows of the house vibrated, flexing and warping until they shattered. The men blocked the sound before they could be damaged, but the innocent animals called into the fray had no protection, and those that did not escape, died.

Kaoru, Tomoe and Yahiko where protected under the ground in the house, but the sound still reached them. The trio covered their ears, pain lanced through them. But Tomoe recovered quickly and wrapped her new family in a small bubble of protection that took the sound and pain away.

Kenshin didn't wait for Shishio to grow silent; he commanded the elements, causing lightning to crackle in the sky before a bolt raced to him. The heart was thrown a few yards away and Kenshin directed the bolt to the heart. The heart exploded into a shower of glittering black bits and ash. Shishio himself caught fire and his screaming abruptly stopped. The creature exploded. The force of the blast was so strong that Kenshin and Hiko were forced back a dozen feet and the nearby trees were ripped up by their roots to tumble over. Parts of the vampire rained down and turned to black obsidian glass as soon as they touched the earth, after which they crumbled to a fine dust and blew away in the wind.

Shishio was dead.

…. . .

Kenshin instantly stopped his lungs and his heart to slow the progress of the vampires' venom through his system. He fell to the ground, looking dead to all the world; but the others knew better. The three males gathered around Kenshin. Sano looked a bit worse for wear, but the burns from the acidic blood were already starting to fade away. Hiko and Aoshi looked drained, but relatively fine.

"He must be healed before that poison does irreversible damage." Aoshi stated as he scooped Kenshin easily in his arms. "Bring his woman; he will have need of her." He added before vanishing into a mist with Kenshin.

Hiko sighed and turned his face to the wind as it already started to die away. "Clean up this mess Sanosuke…and then you know where to go." His voice was harsh, thick with emotion. Kenshin had taken a serious hit for him. He was prince, and was use to others throwing themselves in front of him to protect him, but Kenshin was his brother, and newly mated. It just didn't seem right.

"Why am I always stuck with the clean up?" Sanosuke protested in a slightly strained, humorless voice as he swiftly got to work. He commanded the elements to right the trees and remove the carcasses of rodents, bugs and birds. The crack that ran deep in the earth was slowly closed and mended. There couldn't be any sign of such a fight left over for humans to get suspicious about.

… . .

Kaoru knew the very moment Kenshin was wounded and turned his body off. What once was a raging fire in her mind and flickered down to a candle flame. A flame that Kaoru cupped in her hand, protected and willed to keep burning. She said not a word to anyone, nor shed a single tear. All her thought and concentration went into holding on to Kenshin. She felt Shishio as he died. It felt like a wave of electricity crackling over her, removing all traces of him from her body. She was clean of vampire taint, and it was like a refreshing splash of ice cold water. Tomoe ran to her lifemate as the Prince entered the underground room. His face was passive, yet a fire burned in his eyes.

"We must go." Hiko ordered gently, catching Kaoru's attention.

"What has happened?" Tomoe rubbed at her tear blurred eyes.

"All will be explained in time. Right now we must go and help Kenshin." He turned his dark face to Yahiko. "You are to stay here." It was a demand, plain and simple.

Yahiko opened his mouth to protest but caught himself. "Aw Hell, what's the use in fighting about it anyways." He muttered to himself and plopped down on Kenshin's bed.

Kaoru hardly took notice as she was swiftly lead up from the room and outside. There, Sano gave her a weak smile, but refused to really meet her eye. The Prince took her hand.

"As it is an emergency and the faster we travel the better, I'm sure Kenshin won't mind if I have a blood bond with you." He was calm, gentle, giving away nothing of how pressing the matter was. Kaoru nodded numbly and watched Hiko as he drew a line across her wrist with a sharp nail and drank from her. Instantly, Kaoru saw the image of an owl flashing in her mind and before she realized what was happening, the Prince was controlling her body, commanding that she transform into said animal. Kaoru turned inward, holding tighter to Kenshin and letting the others take over for her. What would she do if she lost Kenshin? She couldn't lose him; she refused to let that happen. She was finally letting her self be happy and now that damn vampire could still take everything away from her.

Kaoru didn't notice that she was now in the body of a large owl and that she was flying in the center of three other large owls. Her attention was only on Kenshin and the small bit of life she held alight.

… . .

Kaoru wasn't sure how long they had been traveling. It wasn't for long, but they were now out in the middle of the wilderness. They landed and transformed under the thick covering of trees next to a rather large rock formation that jutted out from the ground like a building. Kaoru looked around at the silent forest and the three equally silent Carpathians next to her. Sano took her by the arm and lead her after Tomoe and Hiko who opened up a gash in the small mountain of rock and vanished inside.

Kaoru was nervous about going in, but she felt Kenshin nearby and knew him to be inside the rock. Once inside, the rock closed behind them and opened up in front of them as they moved. It was like they were in a pocket of air that moved through the mountain. It felt like a tomb and was very claustrophobic to the girl. Slowly they wound their way down underground. Then, the rock opened up to a cave and inside was something Kaoru hardly expected. A room full of candles and healing herbs. In the center of the room was a raised platform of earth and on that mound of dirt was Kenshin. Aoshi was kneeling next to Kenshin and to Kaorus' utter shock, was as transparent as a ghost again.

"What's happened to Aoshi? Why does he do that?" Kaoru whispered, not wanting to disturbed the silence. She kept her eyes from Kenshins' body. As worried as she was, she couldn't bring herself to see his horrible wounds. Tomoe stood by her side and set a calming hand on her shoulder.

"Aoshi is a great healer. He can travel out of his body and into another's to heal them from the inside out. It takes a great deal of energy, but the healing is perfect."

Suddenly Sano let go of Kaoru and shouted into the shadows that the candle light didn't reach. "It's about time you showed your face!" he flexed his hands, wanting to make fists, and kept Kaoru shielded with his large body.

The Prince and the two females swung there eyes to the dark corner and a tall figure stepped from the shadows. Kaoru gasped and took a step back in surprise. It was another Carpathian. How long had he been standing there? Why couldn't Kaoru feel him before Sano made his presence known? He was tall, like Hiko; and had the same dark hair, but his hair was cut short; shorter than even Sano's. He wore black pants and a tight, deep blue blouse. The man was also thin, almost painfully thin with long limbs. But what caught her attention the most was the fact that he had striking amber eyes like Kenshin did when he was angry.

He was obviously Carpathian. There was an air of old world about him, extreme loyalty and a dark, dangerous beauty. But his eyes were hard and the grin he showed to Kaoru was cold, almost evil. It felt too much like Shishio…too much like a vampire.

"Kaoru…" Tomoe started softly as the two males glared at each other. "This is Saitou Hajime. Saitou…this is-"

"Kamiya Kaoru, Kenshins' lifemate." Saitou finished. His voice was like the other males, beautiful in its cruelness, perfect, calm and ensnaring. And yet it did the very opposite for Kaoru, it left her wary and almost shivering. His intense eyes caught Kaoru and held her. "Word travels." He stated simply as an explanation.

"You vanish as soon as Aoshi feels we're getting close to finding Shishio and the very hour that he dies, you show up again?" Sano snarled, clenching his hands into fists.

Saitou only shrugged. "I was out of town."

"You were out of the country!" Sano snapped back.

Dark power seemed to swell within Saitous' slight frame and he crossed his long arms in front of him. "I have allegiance only to the Prince. I told Hiko when I would be back, that was all he wanted to know." His sneer surprised Kaoru, never had she seen such anger between Carpathians. To her it seemed…unnatural.

"Enough of this quarrelling!" Hiko inserted himself between the two bickering males. His power surged and smothered both Sano and Saitou, silencing them. "Now is not the time, nor the place for exchanging of such words. Now calm yourselves and start acting civil." Hiko held Satious' gaze. The male was close to Aoshi in age, but nowhere near his power. Saitou kept his pride knowing that he was better skilled than Kenshin with a sword; yet only if Kenshin was having a bad day, and Saitou a good one. His age and lack of a mate put him at risk of turning, just like Aoshi. But unlike Aoshi, Saitou still held on to certain emotions, which held the darkness away. Most of those emotions though, were anger and arrogance.

Saitou nodded only slightly and dropped his defensive manner. "Kenshin had to save the day again, didn't he?" The man turned to look down at the red-head. The sight only added to how defenseless Kenshin seemed to be. The sight was painful to Kaoru. And it almost seemed as though Saitou was glad to see Kenshin's pale lifeless body laying there before him. Anger and fear welled up inside Kaoru. How dare this man look at Kenshin in such a way, after all he went though to protect them all.

Kaoru tore away from Tomoe and ran in front of Saitou, putting herself between her hurt lifemate and the newcomer. She fell to her knees by the low bed and she forced herself to look at him. He was white as death from blood loss, his abdomen and half of his chest was ripped open. His bloody gi clung to him in shreds. Yet his face was set stubbornness. Kaoru forced a smile and rested her hand on his cold cheek. She heard the males move behind her but she ignored them.

'_Kenshin. Please be alright.'_ She spoke into the silence in her mind as she cupped the flame of his life so protectively. Hiko, Sano and Saitou gathered around Aoshi and set one hand on the healer, and the other hand on Kenshin. Kaoru watched as the three men chanted, in a low and deep voices, the healing chant in there native tongue. The men slowly started to grow transparent like Aoshi; though they never reached as ghost-like as the healer.

Tomoe kneeled next to Kaoru and wrapped an arm around her sister. "The poison is deep; but please don't fret. Everything will be fine, Kaoru." She said softly, her voice held a compulsion in it for Kaoru to relax. And the girl did find herself slouching against Kenshins' small sickbed. "The men are lending Aoshi their power to help him heal Kenshin. All will be well again." Tomoe set a kiss on Kaorus' cheek, then leaned forward and did the same to Kenshin.

…. . .

The sun was coming up. The men had been at it for hours it seemed. Kaoru watched from the side as one by one the men dropped away from the healing circle to leave the cave to feed and recover their energy. Aoshi was the only one who stayed put. Even with nothing but his transparent outline to look at; Kaoru could tell the Carpathian was growing weak. Aoshi would have to stop soon and take nutrition. But Aoshi was the only one who knew when that time would be. He would not stop a moment sooner, or later.

Kaoru knew she should sleep, the power of the sun would force her into unconsciousness eventually, but she couldn't tear herself away from Kenshin. Finally, as Hiko opened the ground for Tomoe, the prince approached Kaoru. Weakly, Kaoru lifted her heavy eyes to the Prince.

"As prince of my people, it is my duty to take over your care until your lifemate is well again." He said gently, yet in a tone that said he was to be obeyed. He watched her with his dark, solemn gaze and held his hand out to her.

Kaoru didn't want to leave Kenshin. She could feel the protest rising up within her. Perhaps it was his tone, or gaze, or the fact that Kenshin would want her to be well and safe, but something told her she shouldn't fight the Prince. Kaoru set a kiss on Kenshin's forehead and whispered tearful words of love to him before she took the Prince by the hand and stood. Hiko led her to the opened ground where Tomoe lay, already asleep.

"Your sister gladly keeps you company until the next rising." Hiko murmured as he helped Kaoru to her bed of dark healing earth. Kaoru curled next to Tomoe, who, even in the deep Carpathian sleep, bathed Kaoru in warmth and love.

"What about you, and Sano and Aoshi? He hasn't even fed yet." Kaoru asked softly. The Prince smiled and it was enough to almost bring Kaoru to tears.

"We will stay up as long as we can to help Kenshin, then we will go to ground. Though Aoshi and I are matched in strength, I have a lifemate and child to feed when night falls. Aoshi has so such thing to worry about. Do not fear for him. He knows what he is doing." Hiko gently passed his hand over Kaoru's eyes, sending the young woman into deep sleep. Her heart stopped, then her breathing. The Prince left the hole in the ground and carefully covered the females with the dark earth

…. .. .

Kaoru had always taken it for granted that Kenshin would always be there to remove her from the ground, clean her up, and place her in bed before waking her from the deep sleep. So when Kaoru woke to find herself still underground, she panicked. Carpathian instinct kept her from breathing, but she couldn't think of what to do to remove herself from the ground. She almost started clawing her way though the dirt when suddenly the ground split and cool, blessed air reached her. The ground heaved upward, pushing Kaoru up and out. She sat there coughing as the dirt slipped off her body. A lazy, yet deep voice broke the silence.

"Even I can not disregard a female in distress." It held a sarcastic tone. In the darkness a match was struck and the flash of fire lit up the face of the speaker for one moment. Saitou. He lit a cigarette as one by one candles sputtered to life around the dark cave. Healing herbs burned anew, filling the cave with the fresh calming scent. Kaoru quickly got to her feet and ran to Kenshin. His wound was still raw and open, but was packed with herbs and dark healing earth.

"W-where is everyone?" Kaoru looked around, alarmed that not even Aoshi was around. She watched Saitou take a drag from his cigarette before answering.

"They are resting. Even mighty Aoshi sleeps sometimes." His eyes narrowed even more as he sent her a smile that did little to relax her.

"Why are you not sleeping then?" he had contributed the same as Hiko and Sano.

Saitou shrugged, a movement that shifted his whole body. "I am not like most."

'_No kidding.'_ Kaoru thought to herself as she looked Saitou over. He wasn't like the other males. The Carpathian males were like tigers. They were large, solid walls of muscle. Even Kenshin, who was leaner than Hiko, Sano and Aoshi, had defined muscle that gave him the look of such physical power. Saitou on the other hand was more like a cheetah. Super lean, super long limbs, but power rippled off of him the same as the rest. The man looked almost delicate in his thinness, until you looked into his face. He had eyes that would give even the most hardened human nightmares. Kaoru was unaffected, being a female Carpathian, she could see though the gaze to the man behind the power. But Saitou refused to let her hold his gaze long enough for her to see far into him.

"You shouldn't smoke." She blurted out, having no idea what to say to him. Saitou looked at her from the corner of his eyes as he took another drag from the cigarette.

"Why? It could kill me?" He pushed away from the wall he was leaning on and crossed his arms.

"It could." Kaoru said defiantly, tipping her chin up.

Saitou sucked on the cigarette and blew out the smoke in a sigh. "God I hope so." He whispered

Kaoru felt such desolation from the newcomer. It was almost upsetting to see such powerful beings give up hope after holding on for so long. Saitou let the cigarette hang from the corner of his mouth as he shoved his hands deep in his pockets. His yellow eyes glared over at Kenshin.

"Wake him up." He snapped.

"I beg your pardon?" Kaoru looked down at Kenshin's lifeless body. Deathly pale skin, blue lips and fingertips, dirt packed into his middle.

Saitou held his ground. "To Kenshin, that's a dog bite…a rabid dog bite… but nothing major to say the least. I've seen him in far worse shape." Smoke trailed slowly from the cigarette and curled lazily over his head. "Talk to him, tell him to wake up. You are his lifemate."

Kaoru didn't know what she should do. Like Tomoe said, she wasn't born a Carpathian; she had no clue what she could do. Could talking to Kenshin really bring him back? Was that something they expected her to do? Kaoru chewed on her lip as she fell to her knees next to Kenshin. It was worth a try, what did she have to lose? She worked at a hospital, she heard people talking to family members in a coma. Anything was worth it to have Kenshin look at her and smile again.

"Kenshin?" her voice wavered and she looked over at Saitou. He was leaning back against the wall and watched her. It made Kaoru feel a bit uncomfortable having his eyes at her back, hearing her every word. _' Kenshin, please, wake up.'_ It didn't seem like it was enough. Kaoru dove deeper into herself, finding that little flame of life inside her. Kenshin's life. She tried again. _'Kenshin? It's me…Kaoru. Please wake up. Everyone is worried.'_ A sob rose up, Kaoru tried to hold it back but couldn't; the sound of it echoed softly in the rock cave. She heard Saitou shift behind her. _'And I'm afraid.'_ Kaoru reached out and petted Kenshin's messy red hair from his face. _'Please Kenshin.'_ Kaoru pushed deeper within herself, tuning out everything around her. _'Kenshin, I love you so much. I know I may not act like it sometimes, and I'm stubborn and I make things hard for you, but I really do love you more than anything else in the world.'_ She felt hot tears running down her cheeks, but she rubbed them away. _'I love how you take care of Yahiko and truly adore him, like a little brother. I love how no matter how hard I make things for you, you are still gently and sweet. Kenshin!'_ Kaoru nearly started screaming in her mind. _'I'm not going to live in this world without you. You have a lifemate now and you have to get up and start taking care of her. Kenshin if you leave, I will too. So wake up!' _

Kaoru nearly fell back when she heard Kenshin suck in air. His eyes snapped open and he started breathing again. He turned his hazy purple eyes to his mate and whispered softly. "I can do nothing….but obey."

… .. .

Everyone gathered around Kenshin and Kaoru. Kaoru was so deep within herself; she hadn't noticed when four Carpathians burst from the ground. Hiko, Aoshi and Saitou stood back in the shadows as Sano and Tomoe made a big fuss over the pair.

Kenshin felt like hell, he still had an opened wound in his middle, but the mix of good healing earth, saliva, and healing herbs, took much of the pain from him and he was healing at an amazing speed. He didn't like being so helpless that he couldn't care for his own lifemate, he almost had to look away as Hiko fed Kaoru from his wrist. Aoshi slit his own wrist and fed Kenshin. His ancient, powerful blood renewed Kenshin's energy and boosted the speed of his healing.

Kaoru watched in amazement at the packed dirt in his middle, what was not being pushed out by new growth, was being absorbed into him.

"It's as if you're made of dirt." Kaoru said as she petted his hair.

"We are of the earth Firecracker." Kenshin caught her hand and brought it to his mouth, where he placed a kiss on each knuckle. They were both vaguely aware that the other Carpathians silently left them via a tunnel they created for themselves. The cave sealed back up behind them, leaving to two alone.

Kenshin sat up as best he could and held Kaoru by both hands catching her gaze. "I felt you." He said simply, his purple eyes shimmered with deep, rich color. "I felt you hold on to me as my life slipped."

"Saitou said that the wound was not so bad." Kaoru protested as a blush flooded her pale cheeks.

"It wasn't my worse wound, but it could have killed me if I didn't have my family and friends to protect and heal me..." Kenshin paused, lifting her hand to his mouth once again to place kisses on her knuckles. "And my lifemate to hold tightly to my soul as I slept the sleep of Carpathians. I have never felt so warm, so loved and cherished…never."

"Kenshin." Kaours' voice wavered as she held tightly to Kenshins' hands. "It's how you make me feel every moment we are together…and apart." She fell into his arms then; and Kenshin caught her lips in a gentle kiss.

…. . . …. . . …. . .

Four Months later:

Seven Carpathians and one young human occupied the Princes' large manor. Kaoru sat close to Kenshin, almost pressed right against his side as they kneeled at a small table and sipped tea. They didn't really need the tea. But for Kaoru, the act was comforting, and Kenshin obliged her. Saitou was on the other side of the room gazing into the large fireplace. The fire reflected in his yellow eyes and made them almost dance with life. Almost. Sanosuke paced back and forth between the table and Saitou, hands shoved deep in his pockets to keep from pulling at his hair.

Yahiko stood at the large window that overlooked Hikos' garden. He had his bamboo sword with him and it bounced on his shoulder, the only sign of his nervousness.

"Why couldn't Tomoe just tell us if it is a male or female?!' Sano suddenly snapped, plopping down at the table with Kenshin and Kaoru.

"Sano." Kenshin said with ever calmness and continued to sip his tea. "You know Tomoe didn't want to know the sex of the child until it was born. She chose to ignore if it was male or female."

"Well then why couldn't Hiko find out for us?" Sano argued.

"Because, what Hiko knows, Tomoe will know." Kaoru said softly, turning her anxious eyes to Kenshin. "Right?"

Kenshin smiled. "Right Firecracker."

"I can't stand the wait." Sano wailed and fell over to lie on his back. On the other side of the room Saitou scoffed loudly, not bothering to hide his disgust with Sano.

"Silence you. Leave the woman in peace." Saitou hissed but with little malice. Last thing any of them wanted was to distract the laboring woman with negative energy on the other side of her door.

"Yeah be quiet already." Yahiko muttered, his sword still bouncing on his shoulder, eyes glued out the window. Kaoru smiled gently at his back. Along with the normal human bodyguards, Yahiko had been asked to be the new child's' daytime companion, being that he was the only one around, human or otherwise who was going to be closest to the age of the baby. He gladly accepted the request Tomoe and Hiko presented to him. And he took it with the utmost honor and seriousness. That is…if the baby lived.

There were no sounds of labor. No screams from Tomoe, nor orders being barked by Aoshi, who was the only other Carpathian in with Tomoe, other than Hiko. It was obvious that Hiko was taking the pain from Tomoe, thus her silence. But it was very unnerving for the rest of the people in the next room. It was nearly impossible to know what was going on. In a way, the silence was much worse that if they could hear Tomoe suffering.

'_Kenshin.'_ Kaoru spoke to him privately '_What will happen when the baby is born?' _

Kenshin wrapped his arm around his mate. _'If the child survives the birth, it will be raised as any normal child would be. The only exception would be that it would be spoiled beyond belief.'_ Kenshin chuckled in her mind and she relaxed. _'It won't be until the child is two years old that the fear of it dying will pass.'_

Before Kenshin could continue, a thin, wobbly wail cut the silence.

The room froze. Even the flames in the fireplace seemed to pause for an instant. Everyone looked at each other for a few moments before the door opened. Five pairs of eyes swung around to Aoshi as she stepped from the room. He was missing his trench coat and his white shirt was rolled up past the elbows and he was immaculately clean despite helping with the birth. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath as they waited. It was obvious the child survived the birth, for its' weak yet loud cries could still be heard.

Aoshi slowly looked up at the group, surprising everyone with the tiny smile he wore.

* * *

A/n Woot! We have a baby! Is it a boy or a girl? Will it live? What about Sano and poor Aoshi! Don't worry, all will soon be answered. Please keep a eye out for "Trust my Love" I will post the first chapter here in about a week or so. Maybe even sooner if I get enough threatening reviews Mwhahah!!

P.S. that was my hint for "I hope you send me your reviews" lol please let me know how much you liked this first part of the story. It would mean a great deal to me :)

See y'all in the next part, until then, thanks for reading!


End file.
